Life At Fairy Tail Academy
by Rachel Noelle
Summary: A new twist on the old standard: Fairy Tail Academy is one of the most renowned schools of magic in the land. At the start of Erza Scarlet's sixth year, a young blue-haired girl walks into the 19-year-old's life and turns the world on its head, all for the better. Things become even more complicated and sweet when a certain raven-haired boy gets involved, too.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:**__ I know the whole High School thing is always overdone (no matter the fandom), but I think you'll enjoy my twist on it. It'll be a little less World War III, and a lot more fairy tale (get it?). Obviously I got some inspiration from several sources, and I don't know if any of my ideas would ever work in real life, but, hey, this is a magical world we're talking about. Anything is possible. I will start with T-Rating, but don't count on it lasting.  
_

_While you're here, these will be the firm and unyielding pairings: Gray/Erza, Natsu/Lucy. There will be other common pairings, such as Elfman/Evergreen and Levy/Gajeel, but apart from the two main pairings, anything is up for discussion. Except those involving Wendy. She has something special coming up. _

_As always, thank you for reading. Please review, and above all, enjoy!  
-Rachel Noelle_

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

"Um, excuse me, Miss?" a young blue-haired girl tugged at the sleeve of an older girl with scarlet hair. The scarlet haired girl turned from the market stall to face her.

"Oh, hello," she smiled warmly. The younger girl smiled back. "Do you need some help?"

The blue haired girl nodded. "Yes, please. I'm trying to find a school. I was told today was move-in day, and I need to finish my registration. It's Fairy Tail Academy. It's supposed to be in the middle of Magnolia, but I'm afraid I got myself quite turned around."

The scarlet haired girl smiled wider. Of course she should have guessed at that. She was the only person in the market wearing a uniform, after all, which made her the logical choice to ask for assistance. "Of course. As a matter of fact, I'm the head R.A. for the girls' dorms. Erza Scarlet," Erza stuck out her hand.

"Wendy Marvell," the younger girl grasped Erza's hand firmly and shook it. "This is my first year, of course, and I am very excited to meet you."

"Welcome to Fairy Tail," Erza smiled again.

She led Wendy through the streets of Magnolia, pointing out landmarks and points of interest as they strolled. "I'm sure you know by now that Fairy Tail Academy is a seven-year school program, and you can enter at any age over the age of eleven. There is a junior academy, though it's mostly members' children who attend. It is essentially a primary school. Those students do get a certain amount of points of preference if they apply, but they aren't guaranteed entrance to the upper academy. After the school program you can opt to become a full member of the Fairy Tail Guild. Many members spend their time working for the school, and they also have access to a community job board. We in the Upper Academy have a job board as well, though the jobs normally hosted are simpler and much less dangerous. Those of us, like myself, who have attained the special 'S-Class' rank can select from the Guild's job board, depending on the individual job."

"I see," Wendy said, marveling at the details. "I didn't know all of that. When I originally applied, I was just looking for a way to get out of Cait Shelter."

"Cait Shelter?" Erza asked, now very curious about the younger girl's past at the mention of the orphanage. One of the older guild members had mentioned it before in one of his classes, apparently having grown up there himself.

Wendy flushed. "Um… " she laughed nervously.

"I'm so sorry!" Erza stammered out an apology, "I didn't mean to embarrass you. One of the teachers in the Upper Academy grew up there, and… I'm sorry to cause you discomfort." She bowed slightly.

"Oh, no! It's okay," Wendy assured her. They walked on in awkward silence for a few moments before Wendy asked, "What is 'S-Class'?"

Happy for the distraction from their awkward walk to the dormitories, Erza explained, "Every year the Headmaster holds a competition for the students in the Upper Academy in years five and up. The practicing mage who wins is promoted to S-Class, and allowed to select from some of the jobs posted on the guild community board, as well as the one for the students. There are still limitations as to which you can choose, mostly based on skill and relative difficulty of the job. And, if your team has an S-Class mage in it, you can also select from some of the guild job board quests. Your team just has to have permission from the headmaster first."

"I see. And do you have a team?" Wendy asked, curious.

They were drawing upon the school now and Erza could spot one of her fellow teammates. "I do – Natsu, Lucy, and Gray," she smiled happily, waving to a blonde girl handing out fliers and giving information to some other students moving their belongings. The two girls drew nearer, and Erza introduced Wendy to her friend. "Wendy, this is Lucy Valentine. Lucy, Wendy Marvell. Wendy is a new student this year."

"Hi Wendy!" Lucy smiled brightly and gave the smaller girl a tight hug. "I'm a third year student here. It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Hello, Lucy. I'm very excited to be here. Erza has been going over some details I didn't know about yet. And she said you were on the same team as her."

"Right," Lucy agreed, giving a firm nod. "We partnered up with Gray and Natsu not long after I started, and I think we've been inseparable ever since."

Erza and Lucy shared a laugh, causing Wendy to giggle along with them. "Well, Lucy, I need to help Wendy get her registration completed. Thanks for your help with the booth."

"No problem," Lucy smiled again. She waved the other two girls off, and they made their way to the Academy offices.

The main building of the academy was incredibly large and magnificently beautiful. Wendy stared at the stained glass windows and the turrets and the cathedral ceilings. "Wow," she gasped, "This is even more amazing than I imagined."

"Well, we do pride ourselves on being amazing," Erza quipped. They opened the large front doors and stepped into a foyer, a reception desk nearby. "Evergreen, are you here?" the scarlet haired mage called out.

A brunette woman in a green fairy dress stepped through a door, her hair looking disheveled. "I'm here," she sighed in mild annoyance. "What can I help you with, Titania?"

"Ever, I've asked you a million times to just call me Erza," Erza replied, her irritation belied by her amusement. "Can you get Headmaster Makarov for me? Wendy here needs to finish up her registration, then I can help her get settled in."

"Elfman, honey?" Evergreen called over her shoulder. A tall, muscular man walked through the same door Evergreen had materialized from before.

"Yeah? What do you need?" he asked, his hair also disheveled and neck covered with light pink marks. Wendy could not help staring in amusement.

"Can you go and find the Headmaster?" she asked sweetly. Erza rolled her eyes. Evergreen knew exactly how to manipulate the young man.

"Of course. Because I'm a man!" Elfman practically yelled, causing Wendy to jump. Erza placed a hand on the girl's shoulder to help calm her. Elfman took off in what seemed a random direction, leaving the space significantly more serene.

"Is he always that way?" Wendy asked.

"Unfortunately," Evergreen replied, taking a manila folder from a filing cabinet.

Erza scoffed. "As if you don't enjoy it. I saw what you did to his neck," she grinned. Evergreen blushed.

Erza and Evergreen engaged Wendy in small talk while completing paperwork in her file, asking about her plans for the upcoming school year. Evergreen had just mentioned the mentorship program when the headmaster appeared.

"Ah, Wendy Marvell. I've been expecting you. What a pretty little thing you are, too!" he said gleefully. Erza shot him a glare and he recomposed himself. "Welcome to Fairy Tail Academy. I'm Headmaster Makarov, but you can call me Headmaster. Or Master. Or Old Geezer. Or whatever makes you happy. You are coming in as a Year One student, and I am excited to have you here. You will make the third Dragon Slayer at this school right now. Steer clear of the other two, though," Makarov warned sagely, "unless you enjoy having everything around you smashed to bits." He laughed maniacally for a moment. "Ah, now, where were we?"

"You were about to tell me to give her the grand tour, and affix her Fairy Tail mark," Erza supplied.

"Ah, of course!" Makarov pulled what looked like a stamp and ink pad from his pockets. "What color, and where do you want it?" he asked Wendy.

Wendy's eyes opened in surprise. "I don't know," she said nervously.

"How about your shoulder? And in a pretty sky blue?" Erza suggested.

"That sounds good!" Wendy agreed.

Moments later Wendy and Erza were again wandering, Erza explaining more about how the classes and the school system worked.

"Classes are held in three week sets. We have a lot of mages coming and going from the school at any given time, so it makes sense to do it this way. You have to take 1200 hours of instruction each year. If you have time, you can take more classes, but it typically never turns out that way. But, if you take a job that has you missing week two of a class, you can pick it up on the next round, unless it's a different term. You have three chances each term to complete a class. Otherwise you have to wait until the next year. Each class varies in the amount of hours you receive credit for, and it is probably a wise idea to get as many classes out of the way as you can early on. That way you have more time to take jobs and enjoy yourself before the next term.

"We get a two week break in the middle of summer, and a two week break in winter. You don't ever have to move from the dorms, unless you graduate and students coming to the school need a place to stay; the current students have priority, though I've never seen it happen. We have students here who both practice and study magic. Not everyone is capable of the practice, but everyone is welcome to study it. Many of the best magical inventions and spells have been created by those who simply study. Those students, however, are not capable of becoming full-fledged members of the guild after graduation, or of taking jobs. The reason for that is simple," Erza said, noticing Wendy's confused and downcast look, "the jobs posted are of a magical nature, and the guild is designed for mages only. Of course non-mages are welcome to visit."

"I see. This is incredibly complicated," Wendy said. It was a lot of information to take in at once, and she looked very overwhelmed. Erza ruffled her hair affectionately.

"It will slowly start to make sense. Now, do you have a pet? There is a small deposit, but you can pay it out over the duration of the first two terms," Erza explained.

Wendy gasped in horror. "I lost Carla!" she cried, tears welling in her eyes.

"Now, now," Erza soothed, hugging her. "Don't get upset. I'm sure we can find her. What does she look like?"

"She's a white, talking cat. She was wearing a pretty pink dress last I saw her."

Erza just nodded. Wendy was shocked by her reaction. She expected to be deemed crazy for thinking her cat could talk and would even want to wear clothing. "I wonder if Natsu and Happy could help us? Let's finish the tour, and then we can find them, okay?" Erza asked.

Wendy sniffled a little as she dried her eyes. "Okay. She's a strong cat. I'm sure she's okay."

The two girls finished up their tour of the building, met back with Makarov for a brief moment to finalize what was left of the paperwork, then set out to find Natsu.

"Who is Natsu?" Wendy asked as the girls trekked back to the dorms.

"He's a big, goofy kid, who likes to fight with Gray and burn things. He's a Fire Dragon Slayer. Didn't Headmaster say you were a Dragon Slayer, too?" Erza returned.

Wendy nodded. "Yes. I use Sky Magic. I'm not very good at fighting, but I can heal very well."

"That's excellent news. We can always use healers." Erza smiled.

The green grass around the dormitory buildings was well manicured and looked soft enough to sleep on. Wendy had no doubt that on a lovely, warm day like this it would be hard to resist the urge to take a nap on it. She inhaled the freshly mown scent deeply, relaxing in the sun's rays.

When the two girls reached the dorms they walked past the booth where Lucy sat waving at them to another building – the boys' dorms. Erza cast a hard, scary glare at a pair of boys arguing and insulting one another, and they immediately went pale and stood side by side peacefully, as though the best of friends. Erza wondered if they would ever figure it out for themselves that they actually were best friends.

"Natsu, Gray, this is Wendy. She's just starting at Fairy Tail. But, she's lost her cat. She's white, wearing a pink dress, and can speak. Have you seen her?" Erza inquired.

"Hmm…" Natsu scratched looked up, scratching his chin. "Hey, Ice Princess, didn't Happy say he was going to go talk to a white cat earlier?"

"Quit calling me that, Flame Brain," Gray hissed. He turned back to the girls and extended a hand. "Gray Fullbuster. Pleasure."

Wendy took his hand and gave a sort of curtsy. "Wendy Marvell. It's nice to meet you, Ice Princess Gray."

Gray laughed.

"Hey! How come when I call you that you get mad, but she calls you that and you laugh?" Natsu whined, hurt.

"Because she's cute. And she's looking for her cat. Which is probably with yours. I think he was headed to the girls' dorms," Gray explained, avoiding Natsu's punches. "Would you quit that already?" he yelled at Natsu.

"No way, Popsicle!"

"Listen, Flame Breath! Do you wanna get the snot beat out of that idiot head of yours?"

The bickering continued and Erza and Wendy took their leave, Erza grumbling over property damage and infirmary bills.

Back at the information booth Lucy was manning, a white cat jumped up onto the table and sat upright. Lucy smiled broadly at the cute animal and reached out to scratch behind her ears. The cat shirked away from the contact, causing Lucy to frown. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you. Are you okay?"

The cat blinked her eyes as though she was trying not to cry. "Not really. I've lost my companion. She's a young girl with blue hair and brown eyes, and her name is Wendy. Have you seen her?" the cat replied, her voice sounding panicked.

"Wendy Marvell? I just saw her pass by with our R.A., Erza, a few minutes ago. I'm sure they'll be back soon," Lucy assured the cat. "What's your name?"

"I'm Carla," the animal replied, some relief finally showing on her face. "I'm glad she's alright. We got separated in the market when she went to look for someone to help us find our way here. Luckily I ran into the tomcat."

"Oh, you met Happy? He's sweet enough, kind of annoying, though. And sometimes I think he really hates me," Lucy grumbled. What she meant as an affectionate comment did not come out as one.

Carla chortled. "That sounds like the blue tomcat I met earlier."

Wendy and Erza came up the path. Surprised and happy to see Carla, Wendy ran up to the white cat and grabbed her up in a hug, excited to see her again. "Oh, Carla! I'm so glad you're okay. I was afraid you were lost and I'd never find you again," Wendy wailed.

"I'm perfectly fine, Wendy. You needn't worry so much about me. It is I who has to worry about you. After all, it is my job to see to your safety," Carla chastised lightly, her relieved tone making it obvious that she was not unhappy with the girl.

"Wendy," Lucy said brightly, "Now that Carla is here with you, why don't we get you moved in?" Lucy scanned a sheet of paper quickly. "Looks like you've been assigned to room 303, right next to Erza."

Erza smiled fondly. She had a feeling this would be the best year yet.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**__ Thanks for reading! Today's chapter is brought to you by the phrase "vade mecum" (pronounced vā-dē-ˈmē-kəm) and the colors gray and scarlet. 8-) _

_Before anyone gets their panties in a twist (not that anyone has, I'm just saying), I'm basing almost all of my mannerisms and customs on those common in the US (where I live, and have always lived), because those are what I am most familiar with. Please remember, this is fan-fiction, and A.U. at that. Expect some Miss/Mr. rather than –san/–sama. I know you guys usually prefer that, and it is a nice touch, but, you know, it's just not easy to keep straight._

_Also, the school system is set up more like a college than a high school. Let me know if it sounds confusing or screwed up and I'll be sure to work in a way to elaborate. _

_Thank you to those who have reviewed and favorited/followed. I love you all, and am excited to be writing this!  
-Rachel Noelle_

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

Gray sighed to himself. It was the first day of classes, and he desperately wished it was already over. From the moment he woke this morning, everything had gone wrong. He burned his breakfast, was out of toothpaste, accidentally grabbed the wrong towel in the showers and was covered in a fine layer of blue cat hair, locked himself out of his room, almost got himself arrested for breaking into his own room, ripped his favorite pants, and stubbed his toe hard against his bed post.

He prayed it was not an indication of things to come for the school year.

"Um, excuse me, Gray?" he heard a female voice call from behind him. He sighed heavily as he grabbed the book he was looking for from his locker and turned, expecting to find a particularly annoying blue-haired girl. Juvia was sweet, but annoying.

"Juvia, can it please wait until after class?" he began. He promptly shut his mouth when he found himself face to face – or chest to face, rather – with a blue haired girl, who was indeed not Juvia. "Oh. Um, hi, uh, Wendy, right?" he stuttered, feeling abashed at his rash decision.

The young girl nodded and gave a small bow. "I'm so sorry to bother you, Gray. I'm just very lost, and I was hoping it was you I was talking to. Erza said my first class was on this floor, but I think I turned right when I should have turned left. Or something," Wendy sighed, frowning.

Gray chuckled. At least something in his day was going to turn out alright. "What class is it?"

"Magical Theory I. With a Mr. Bixlow?" Wendy looked confused. Gray winced.

"I didn't know he was teaching a class, much less that one. Sit in the back, and don't make eye contact. He's a pervert," Gray warned. Wendy laughed at his expression, his eyes stern like a father warning his daughter about men. Gray smiled and shrugged. "You've been warned. But don't come crying to me for help," he paused, "Actually, yes, do come to me. I'll turn him into a popsicle so fast…"

Wendy laughed again. "Thank you, Gray, for looking out for me." Gray grinned and felt his cheeks tinge lightly.

"No problem. Now, let's find this classroom."

The two students set out, Gray trying to help Wendy remember important landmarks in the building to find her way around more easily, especially when he couldn't be there to help her. They arrived at her classroom in due time, and since they still had a few minutes to kill before first bell, Gray sat and chatted with the young girl some.

"So, are you excited about Vade Mecum day?" he asked. (1)

Wendy turned her head to the side, giving Gray a questioning look. "What's that? Evergreen mentioned it when we were finishing my registration, but she never got the chance to tell me what it is."

"All of the first year students get to pick one of the older students to be their mentor, sort of like an interactive handbook. Both of you have to accept, but I'm pretty sure you only get to pick one," Gray explained. "It's usually the first Friday of the school year, so you have a couple of days to think about it."

Wendy nodded in understanding. "I see. Do I have to participate?"

Gray shrugged. "Probably not, especially for students who start when they're already adults, but I think it would be helpful for you. I picked Erza. She was a second year, and I thought she was so cool because she was a girl who could fight. At least until the first time she mopped the floor with me in a spar. I guess my picking her is why we're good friends now, but for the first year or so you would have thought we were mortal enemies."

Wendy looked surprised. "It seems like you two care very much about each other, though. She talked a lot about you last night while she was helping me get my room arranged."

Gray hid his surprise well. "I guess we are pretty good friends." He looked at the clock on the wall. "I need to get to my first class, so I'll have to leave now," he told Wendy, ruffling her hair affectionately. "Remember to tell me if Bixlow does anything pervy!" Gray called over his shoulder as he left.

Gray found his own class, Alchemical Reactions II, and made his way to a seat in the back beside Loke. There was a girl clinging to Loke's left arm, and they were discussing each other's good looks when Gray sat down.

"Whoa, Gray! Did you make it with a lady last night or something? You're smiling like the cat that caught the canary this morning!" Loke slapped his friend on the back in a congratulatory gesture.

Gray gave him a confused look. "If I had, it wouldn't be any of your business, but I didn't, thanks," he told the lion. "I was just talking to Wendy, you know, the new girl Erza's been hanging around the last two days since move-in. She's really sweet, and cute, and it made my terrible morning a little better."

"Isn't she only like twelve?" Loke asked, concerned about his friend's interest in the girl.

Gray punched him in the chest. "Yes, you idiot. I didn't mean she was cute as in attractive. I might be a pervert, but I'm not a child molester!"

Loke put his hands in front of himself in defense. "Okay, okay. You know I had to check. Lucy's talked about her a lot, too, and said the same thing. I think I need to meet her, since she has all of you so interested and wrapped around her fingers already." Loke chuckled. He turned back to the girl sitting with him, who looked furious at the mention of Lucy, and told her, "Uh-oh, Babe, you better get to class. You don't wanna be late for your first day."

The girl stormed off, leaving Loke to look at Gray in disbelief. "Well, that was rude."

Gray just rolled his eyes. "Where's Flame for Brains, anyway?"

"He said he had to help Lucy with something this morning. Hanging some fliers or something," Loke shrugged.

"Ugh, he is so whipped, and they're not even dating," Gray sighed. Loke just agreed.

Gray and Loke settled into a brief discussion on what alchemy they wanted to try this year as other students piled into the classroom. Laxus made a ruckus at the front of the classroom, calling everyone's attention, and started class.

**oOoOo**

Erza sat in the lunch room, her head cradled in her hands, trying to pay attention to whatever Lucy and Levy were chatting about across the table. "Damn, Erza," a cool, seductive voice rang in her ears. She jumped and forcefully bumped heads with her assaulter, causing him to hold his nose and squint his eyes in pain.

"Gray!" she cried, concerned. "Don't do things like that. Look what happened," she glared. She collected herself enough to realize she was partially to blame. "Here, are you okay?" she requipped a handkerchief and handed it to the Ice Mage.

Gray pulled his hand away from his nose, expecting blood. He found none and sighed in relief, rejecting the offered hanky. "I'm alright. I was just going to say you look tired. Were you up all night or something?" He thought he had known he should have gone with the shoulder rub instead of the seductive ear whisper.

Erza nodded. "Nearly. One of the new girls had some, uh, female issues for the first time last night, and I was trying to explain things to her, and keep her from freaking out too much."

"God, am I glad I'm not a girl," Gray said, relieved. "That sounds worse than your first involuntary erection in front of a pretty girl."

"You have no idea," Erza agreed.

Once all of the friends had gathered, Lucy spoke to the group at large. "I was thinking that since it's the beginning of a new school year, we should all go out for dinner and see a play to celebrate. Maybe Friday night?"

"That sounds fun!" Natsu was the first to agree. Anything to spend time with his friends, and with Lucy.

"Okay, I'm game," Erza added in, smiling. "Gray, are you coming?"

"Sure," Gray shrugged. It would be time well spent: wining, dining, and entertainment with friends.

"How about we just hit up a party with some ladies?" Loke suggested. The incredulous looks he received clearly said otherwise. He sighed. "Okay, fine. Dinner and a play."

Levy nodded enthusiastically. "I'll bring Gajeel!"

"Not the metal head," Natsu groaned. Lucy cast him a stern glare and he changed his mind. "Okay, Gajeel, no problem. He can sit with me!" he gave a nervous grin, trying to avoid the wrath of the blonde. Levy giggled at Natsu's antics.

Unexpectedly, a small, quiet voice spoke from behind Erza and Gray, causing them both to jump. "Um, can I join you guys for lunch?" Wendy asked.

Erza and Gray quickly scooted apart, making room for the young girl. "Of course," Erza told her, smiling brightly. "We were just discussing going to dinner and a play this Friday. Would you like to join us?"

"Oh, no, that's okay. You don't have to invite me," Wendy tried to politely decline.

"Hey, now, you're our friend, too," Natsu cut in, "You have to come."

"Yeah! I've been waiting to get to know you. It'll be a perfect opportunity," Loke agreed. He received a suspicious glare from Gray, but just shrugged nonchalantly.

There were a few more urges to come along from the others before Wendy finally agreed. "Okay, I'll come. It does sound like fun."

They spent the rest of the lunch period debating on which play to see and where to eat, Wendy squeezed between Gray and Erza protectively, happy to be included.

**oOoOo**

The next few days passed for Wendy in what constituted a normal fashion at Fairy Tail Academy. On Friday afternoon all of the first year students gathered in the lunchroom with their period teachers and Headmaster Makarov.

"Now, students, you should have had some time to get acquainted with the older students, so it's time to pick your Vade Mecums. If you haven't had a chance to meet them yet, we've provided some information for you in these handy little booklets," Makarov held up a pamphlet with 'Vade Mecum Volunteers' lettered across it, displaying it for the students to see. "It should tell you everything you need to know about who has volunteered. Of course, they needn't have volunteered for you to select them, but they still have to accept. Now, any questions?"

Several hands flew up around the room and Makarov and the white haired girl, known as Mirajane, began talking with the owners of those hands. Wendy thought long and hard about who she wanted to be her Vade Mecum. She wanted Erza, because she had been so friendly and helpful to her, but she also really liked Gray. Gray had been just as helpful and friendly. Where Erza was more scholastic and talented in combat, Gray seemed to be more knowledgeable about life skills, like how to get along with people.

Mira wandered up to the girl. "Your brows sure are furrowed in thought. It's a very cute look for you," she smiled, startling Wendy slightly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Miss Mirajane. I'm just having trouble deciding who to pick," Wendy explained. "I really want Erza, but I know she's busy a lot, which makes me want to pick Gray, but then I'm afraid I'll hurt Erza's feelings," Wendy said, worry contorting her features cutely.

"Well, then, why not pick them both?" Mira suggested, a finger tapping her chin thoughtfully.

Wendy's face lit up. "Can I do that?" Mira shrugged and called Makarov over.

"Yes, dear?" he quipped when he came to stand with Mira, casting her what was probably meant to be a jokingly flirtatious glance.

"Wendy can't decide between Erza and Gray, and so I thought that maybe she could choose both. Can she do that?" Mira asked sweetly. Wendy tried not to giggle as she watched Mira subconsciously try to use her good looks to her advantage while Makarov took time to think over her proposal. Wendy suspected that she was correct, even though she was only twelve, in her assumption that Makarov had already made up his mind and was just taking his time to torture Mira for her display of bouncing boobs and fawning over him.

After an eternity, he finally answered, "Yes, that sounds fine to me. I don't think anyone's ever asked before. But why not?" he shrugged. Mira squealed excitedly and hugged Makarov, unintentionally picking him up and swinging him around in a circle. She blushed furiously and apologized profusely afterward, with Makarov cackling madly.

Wendy laughed at the display, then quickly scribbled the two names on her form. Mira took it from her, smiling. It might be just the push they needed.

"Do you think they'll both agree?" Wendy asked, now nervous they wouldn't choose her.

"Oh, of course," Mira nodded, a cunning glint in her eyes, "They'll say yes."

Wendy wisely decided not to concern herself with Mira's plan and started talking with a couple of girls from one of her classes.

**oOoOo**

Mira flagged down Erza and Gray when they came into the student lounge afterschool. They approached the counter of the bar where Mira stood washing glasses. Erza and Gray both cocked a brow in unison. "What did you need, Mira?" Erza asked.

"I have something for you," she said, smiling brightly. She handed an envelope to each of them. "You both got picked!"

Erza and Gray caught on to Mira's enthusiasm as they tore open the envelopes. Mira could see the stars in their eyes as they both declared, "Wendy picked me!" They smiled briefly, then grew confused.

"Mira, I think there's been a mistake," Erza told the barmaid. "Wendy couldn't have picked us both."

"Eh, it's okay. I'll let you have the honor," Gray insisted before Mira could explain, "Seeing as you're both girls, and she might do better with a sister than a brother."

"Guys," Mira tried to interrupt.

"No, no," Erza was saying, "She could definitely benefit from you being around to help her fight off the boys-"

Mira sighed. "Guys, I can explain."

"-I saw several of her classmates giving her some lecherous looks yesterday."

"Hey, guys," Mira tried again.

"No, really, Erza. I mean, just the other day you were telling me about being up all night with a girl having 'female problems'. It definitely-"

"Erza. Gray. Yoo-hoo!" Mira called.

"-seems like it would be better for her to have a female around. I wouldn't know what to do with that."

Mira gave up on pleasantries and yelled, "Hey, you two idiots, pay attention to me!"

They both turned to face her, shocked and surprised. "What?" Gray asked cautiously, fearing the Take Over mage turned barmaid would switch into her Satan Soul form.

"As I was trying to tell you, Headmaster let her choose two. She said she wanted to pick Erza, but knew that you're always busy and didn't want to cause you more stress," Mira explained, turning to face Gray, "So she wanted to pick Gray, but didn't want Erza to be hurt by choosing him."

"I see. That does make sense," Erza said, glad to have the issue resolved. Jokingly she told Gray, "I don't know what you did to make her pick you, but it obviously worked."

"I'm sure it's my devilishly handsome good looks," he replied cleverly.

"Oh, no doubt. Be still, my heart!" Erza returned dramatically. "Oh, Gray, you handsome beast, I want to get married right now and have 33 kids!"

Mira rolled her eyes and went back to her work tending the bar.

"You don't have to be so mean about it," Gray said, feigning hurt as he and Erza left the lounge.

"Who said I was kidding?" Erza said, straight faced.

"Come again?" Gray asked, not believing his ears.

Erza blushed and hastily dismissed him. "Nothing! Nothing at all. Now, let's go find Wendy a welcome gift."

**oOoOo**

Wendy returned to her room in the afternoon, to shower and change before her evening out with her new friends. She confided in Carla that she was very nervous, since they were all much older than she, but she was excited to be spending time with Erza and Gray, and Loke.

"And Loke is just so… so… handsome," she sighed dreamily.

"And he is much too old for someone your age," Carla chastised.

Wendy frowned. "I know, Carla. But I can still think he's cute, can't I?" she pouted and crossed her arms.

"Just don't let your infatuation get in the way of reality. It could be a very bad thing if one or the other of you got the wrong idea, you know?" Carla reminded her. The Exceed was well aware that the feelings the girl held for the lion were a mere crush, but she felt she still needed to keep her grounded. "You look absolutely lovely in your outfit. Just don't let that big cat get too close. I've seen how he treats women. And you're still too young for a boyfriend, anyway."

"Am not," Wendy huffed, abandoning her attempts to tie her hair back in a ribbon."But I don't like him like that, anyway. I was just saying." (2)

Carla smiled softly at the young girl, "Come here and let me help you tie that bow."

A few minutes more of primping and a knock on the door startled them both. "Coming," Wendy called as she approached. "Who is it?" Wendy opened the door to find Erza and Gray standing there nervously.

"Hi Wendy," Erza greeted. "Are you ready?"

"We brought you something, in honor of being your Vade Mecums," Gray added, presenting her with a small jewelry box with a pink bow.

Wendy took the small box and smiled with delight. "Oh, I'm so glad you accepted! I was worried Headmaster would change his mind about me getting to pick two. But you shouldn't feel like you need to give me anything. I should be giving you gifts!" she giggled.

"It's sort of a tradition here. You always get your new minion a welcome gift," Erza grinned. "Go on, open it."

With her encouragement, Wendy obliged and opened the gift. She held up a silver necklace with a crystal pendant dangling from it. Her eyes grew big with anticipation and she asked, "Could you put it on me?"

Gray nodded and took the necklace, fastening it around her neck. Erza admired his gentleness from the doorway as he escorted her to the vanity to look at herself. Wendy squealed and hugged them both, thanking them profusely.

"Well, ladies," Gray said, trying to be funny and charming, "we need to go. Unless you want to be late and let Natsu eat all of our food before we get there."

The girls just laughed and followed Gray out the door.

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

Notes:

1 – Vade Mecum: "A book for ready reference." Picking an older student to be your guide would be kind of like having an interactive guidebook around. Kind of like Big/Little, or _Big Brothers, Big Sisters_.

2 – Yes, I am aware of the differences in age, and the fact that, unlike the HitsuMatsu pairing I so adore in Bleach, there's not a way to make that work (it's not like the Fairy Tail kids age slowly, like the Bleach characters). But it does seem like he would be the kind of guy a tween would crush on. I mean, I was younger than the N'SYNC guys, but I still dreamed about being their girlfriend. :)


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:**__ For all intents and purposes in this fic, it can be assumed that Loke is human, with the abilities of a celestial spirit, rather than being a spirit. And I never said I was actually going to ship him with Wendy, but right now it's building up to a nice little scene between him and Gray. So, yeah… _

_...But it could very well end up that way (I do ship HitsuMatsu as my Bleach OTP, so, you've been warned), and the pairing is quickly growing on me. And if it does, rest assured it will be chaste and innocent until Wendy does actually grow up some. It's not that horrible of an idea, is it? :) _

_As always, thank you for reading and reviewing. If you haven't reviewed yet, please do. I enjoy getting to know what you think about my stories, and I really like replying to your reviews. Happy reading!  
-Rachel Noelle_

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

Natsu and Lucy were the first to arrive at the restaurant. Lucy walked in proudly and handled everything like a pro, from start to finish. Natsu was quite glad he did not need to help, as many of the things Lucy spoke with the waiter about confused him. Why did they have to pick such a fancy place, anyway? His clothes itched, and he fought hard not to scratch himself in front of all the other people.

Gray and Loke had helped him pick out his clothes, since they needed to be "fancy" for the evening. The waiter showed them to a banquet table with room for all of their friends and promised to usher the others back as they drifted in.

Loke showed up next, surprisingly without a date – of which he had many to choose from – and looking quite nervous or otherwise unwell, causing Lucy to inquire about his health.

"Oh, no, I'm feeling just fine, now that you're here, Princess," he smarmed, taking her hand and placing a kiss on the back of it. Lucy rolled her eyes.

Natsu bit back a growl, reminding himself that it was Loke, someone who was just a battle partner for Lucy.

"Seriously, Loke, are you sure you're feeling well?" Lucy asked again, "You look a little anxious about something. Oh, I know!" Lucy concluded as Loke tried to dismiss her concerns, "You invited someone but you're worried she won't show up, aren't you?"

Loke laughed nervously. "You could say that."

"I'm sure she will," Lucy reassured him.

Soon after, the others wandered in, Levy dragging an unhappy Gajeel behind her, and Erza all but wrapped around Gray as Wendy followed closely behind them. Lucy might have missed the light in Loke's eyes when he stood to pull out a seat for Wendy, and she sat between him and Erza, but Gray didn't.

"Um, Lucy, what should I order? I've never had food this fancy," Wendy said, looking over her menu concernedly.

Lucy laughed. "This isn't _that_ fancy. It's really just casual dining," she smiled. Musing to herself, she added, "But, I guess I forget I was 'privileged' before coming to school here." Wendy gave her a quizzical look from across the table. "Later," she mouthed, and Wendy nodded. (1)

Lucy pointed out some menu items of interest for the others, advised Erza what wine would best suit her meal, and explained the pronunciation of 'quiche' to Natsu and Gray. She noticed when Natsu slipped an arm across the back of her chair, making her heart race in anticipation. She decided that it would be the perfect time to lean into the gesture, and was pleased when Natsu didn't move. Rather, he tightened his grip, his hand resting on Lucy's upper arm. If he was as nervous as she, she couldn't tell. (2)

Loke was about to make a comment on it, but after a scary glare and harsh whisper of, "Don't say anything! You'll make him nervous," from Erza, he shut his mouth. Instead he settled for talking about school and classes with Wendy.

"So, I heard Bixlow is teaching your first class. How is that going? Is he completely pervy?" Loke asked, genuinely curious.

"Um, well, he's been okay. There is one girl he likes to flirt with, but she's already 19, so I doubt it's really too much of a problem. But he's never said anything inappropriate to me or the other girls my age," Wendy explained.

Loke nodded thoughtfully. "So he does have some decency, at least. That's good. Gray told me you got to pick two Vade Mecums. Are you excited?"

Wendy's face broke out into a large grin. "I am! Erza and Gray even bought me a necklace as a welcome gift." Wendy fingered the necklace, showing it to Loke.

Though jewelry was not something one could call his "thing", Loke admired it and told Wendy that she looked lovely with it on. "Erza actually has really good taste in girly things for being such a tomboy. I guess when Gray and I buy things like that, we just get lucky if the girl likes it."

Erza laughed beside Wendy at the comment. "Actually, Gray found that first." Loke rolled his eyes as Gray smiled proudly.

Loke mumbled something offensive toward Gray, which when Wendy asked him to repeat it, he looked abashed and told her it was nothing.

After their food and drinks arrived Gray kept a careful eye on Erza, as she did not hold her liquor well. He also kept a careful eye on Loke, who, for some reason, was quite enjoying the time with Wendy. After a few minutes of observation he realized that Wendy was quite taken with Loke. She blushed when he complimented her and when he teased her about taking "big, manly bites". Gray briefly scrunched up his face in dread.

Of all the men on the planet, why did Wendy have to be crushing on Loke?

Granted, it wasn't the first time a girl had fallen for him, even a young girl. It was kind of irritating, but Gray couldn't quite put his finger on why. He assumed the reason to be mild jealousy, as he always played second string to Loke when it came to ladies, but that didn't even make sense. After all, Gray had been chosen in equal part to be Wendy's Vade Mecum, or mentor. And that was an honor Loke didn't have. Then there was Erza, who certainly did not express the same interest in Loke. So what was so unsettling about Wendy having a crush on Loke, and why did he care so much?

"Gray, you look like you swallowed something horrible," Erza commented, her words beginning to slur just the tiniest bit.

Gray was startled. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I just had a pain in my head," he shrugged, playing it off.

"Okay!" Erza agreed happily. Gray wondered how much she had had to drink while he was dazed. He hoped not much, since she could become quite violent with too much alcohol consumption.

Gray tried hard to focus on his time out with his friends and pay attention to how much Erza drank as the meal continued, but found himself constantly worried about Wendy.

**oOoOo**

"What play is this again, Luce?" Natsu asked, his arm dangling near Lucy's, just itching to grab her hand. He had gotten away with the arm trick Gray taught him in the restaurant, but he was still scared of upsetting Lucy.

"It's called 'Almost a Honeymoon'. It's about a guy who has been offered a high-ranking job with an army, but he has to be married to accept it, and he has just twenty-four hours to find a wife," Lucy answered. "It's supposed to be a comedy." Lucy gestured while she talked, and when her arms fell to her sides her hand contacted with Natsu's briefly. Natsu felt giddy when she made no rush to move it. (3)

In a moment Natsu prayed wouldn't result in severe bodily harm, he pretended to absently move his hand and accidentally grab Lucy's. She bit her lip, trying not to smile broadly in front of everyone else, and intertwined their fingers.

Gray literally facepalmed when Erza began singing, "Lucy and Natsu sitting in a tree…" Obviously he had let his concern for Wendy's wellbeing in the hands of his good friend Loke get in the way of making sure Erza did not drink too much. The two in question rapidly broke apart, both looking crestfallen and embarrassed. Gray sighed heavily. How ould have smacked the crazy red-head on the back of her head if he wasn't afraid of dying shortly afterward.

"Maybe Erza and I should head back," he suggested, thankful that she so far was not feeling violent. "I'm not sure how much you drank, but I think it might have been enough."

"Oh, no, Gray," Erza replied, the alcohol obviously having taken its toll on her ability to rapidly process information, "I'm good. I- I did not- have that much to drink. Just three- ugh, three glasses of wine. Not even beer! Just wine!"

Lucy was the first to recover. "Oh, no, Gray, it's alright. Like Erza said, it was only wine, and just three glasses. Besides, we don't want anyone wasting money on tickets they've already paid for."

Wendy gasped. "Oh my gosh! I never gave you any money for my ticket, Lucy! I'm so sorry!" she said, bowing, "I don't have any more money right now, but I promise I'll take a job as soon as I can and-"

"And here, Lucy, since you paid for her dinner as a welcome gift, Gray and Erza bought her a necklace, I'll pay for the ticket to the play," Loke cut Wendy off. "See, it's all worked out."

Lucy smiled brightly. "That's okay, Loke, I was going to make Natsu pay for the ticket." Natsu's face contorted into disbelief and he stared at Lucy. "Besides, you said you invited someone and she didn't show, so I'm not going to make you pay for something else."

Loke laughed, fighting the tinge threatening his cheeks for his little white lie. "It's alright, Lucy. Before Natsu starts whining, really, here," he said, handing Lucy the necessary jewel for the ticket price. He gave her a look that said, "Let me do this now, and we can argue later," so she did just that.

"Thank you, Loke," Wendy said, smiling and giving a little bow again.

He took her hand and kissed it like he had done with Lucy earlier, causing her to blush crimson. "Anything for you, Princess."

Gray resisted a facepalm this time. And for the sake of not ruining the evening for everyone else, he resisted the urge to punch Loke square in the nose. He began to fear he would have to turn the lion into a popsicle after all. Now if he could only decide _why_ he cared, and what in the world Loke was playing at.

**oOoOo**

Gray forced Erza to sit at one end of the row of seats beside him, while Natsu and Lucy sat at the other. Gajeel fussed about having to see some sissy play with the shrimp, but sat between Levy and Gray, no less. Which, Gray mentally bemoaned, left Loke to sit beside Levy, and Wendy between him and Lucy. And Gray did not fancy that idea at all.

"Gajeel, why don't we sit beside Lucy and Natsu?" Levy suggested. Gray silently prayed they would switch seats.

"Cause I don't wanna listen to your girl talk all night," Gajeel told the bookworm. "Besides," he said more quietly, "I think they wanna have some time to themselves, if ya know what I mean."

Levy pouted. "Oh, alright."

"That's what I thought," Gajeel smirked and wrapped his arm around the girl, letting her cuddle into him.

Gray rolled his eyes at the antics and cursed his luck. Oh, well, he decided, he'd just have to trust Loke to not be a pervert.

**oOoOo**

As the play was resuming after the intermission Wendy stretched and yawned. Since the play was relatively short, there had been only a brief intermission, and Loke and Wendy had elected to stay put. Which seemed to be turning out to be a good idea. Who knew what the others had gotten into with Erza being quite the featherweight when it came to alcohol. Judging by her inhibitions earlier, they were possibly avoiding arrest.

"Is it going to be over soon?" Wendy asked.

Loke shrugged. "I would guess it's about half over. Why? Are you getting tired?" he smiled.

Wendy nodded softly, blushing again. "Yes, a little. It's very good, but it has been rather a long day. And I imagine Carla didn't expect me to be out so late."

"Hey, you're with Loke, the lion. I'm Leo, remember? I won't let anything bad happen," Loke assured her. Wendy smiled again. He put his arm around her shoulders in a friendly manner and she settled into his embrace.

Natsu and Lucy came back into the theatre with Levy and Gajeel, Lucy and Levy looking very worried.

"What's up?" Loke asked them.

Lucy answered, "Gray had to take Erza home. She's been sick a few times. I was afraid she drank too much. At least she's not being violent and all like usual."

"Oh, I hope Erza is okay," Wendy said sadly. "I wish she could have stayed."

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Loke said soothingly, rubbing a hand on her upper arm. Lucy gave him a curious look but said nothing.

"I promised Gray we would walk you home, Wendy. He wanted me to let know he's sorry he wasn't able to do so himself," Lucy told the younger girl.

"Don't worry about it. I can make sure she gets home safe," Loke volunteered. Wendy blushed as she smiled brightly.

After the curtain closed the six remaining teens saw themselves out of the theatre, Loke having to rouse Wendy from her sleep. Natsu and Lucy freely held hands as they walked along the road back to the dorms.

"Oh, look, the ice cream shop is still open," Loke pointed out as they drew near. "Who wants to get ice cream?"

"I do!" Natsu shouted. "How about you, Luce?" he asked her, dragging her toward the shop and not giving her much opportunity to object. She laughed as he dragged her along, calling for the others to come with them.

"I'm sorry," Wendy said, yawning, "but, I need to get back. I'm sure Carla is very worried about me by now. And I'm tired."

"Oh, uh, okay," Lucy agreed mildly. "We can head back. There'll be time for ice cream tomorrow."

"That's alright," Loke cut in, "You guys can have your ice cream, and I'll walk Wendy home. I already promised I would." He gave Lucy a pleading look, begging her not to argue.

"Alright! Night Wendy!" Natsu answered for Lucy, smiling and waving Wendy and Loke off. Who was he to argue with an opportunity to eat ice cream and spend more time with Lucy?

"Goodnight, Wendy," Levy said, giving the younger blue haired girl a hug.

"Goodnight, Wendy," Lucy also hugged her. She turned to Loke. "I trust you, and I trust you to be a gentleman, and if anything happens to her…" she said warningly.

"She will be perfectly safe in my care," Loke told her, ready to just get away from everyone threatening him and being overprotective of Wendy.

Wendy waved goodbye to the others as they disappeared into the ice cream shop. "Thank you for walking me home, Loke," she smiled at the lion.

Loke scratched his head nervously. "No problem. They all needed a moment alone. Besides, it's the least I could do, since you pretty much ended up being my date tonight," Loke said, casting Wendy a charming smile. In a gentlemanly fashion, he offered her his arm, which she accepted, grinning brightly.

"I'm sorry your date didn't show up tonight. But I'm glad you didn't mind spending time with me."

Loke laughed lightly. "I actually didn't invite anyone, and I never told Lucy I did. She just assumed, and I didn't correct her. I hope you didn't feel like too much of a third wheel. I know sometimes the whole dating thing with them gets overwhelming."

Wendy laughed. "They definitely aren't very good at hiding their feelings. I wonder when Gray will tell Erza how much he cares about her?" she mused.

"Probably not until after they're married and have a family, and Erza is on her deathbed," Loke sniggered.

The duo continued making light small talk until they reached the girls' dorms. "I believe this is as far as I go, Princess," Loke said charmingly, again kissing Wendy's hand. She blushed an even deeper red than before.

"Thank you for walking me home," she said again, bidding him goodnight before hastily making her way to her room.

Loke went his own way to his room, mildly surprised to see Gray, who was his suitemate, nursing a large knot on his head with an icepack. "Man, what happened to you?" he asked.

"I could ask the same of you, you pervert!" Gray yelled back.

Loke cocked his head to the side, giving Gray a look of confusion. Noting his expression to be genuine, Gray just huffed and said, "Never mind. It's nothing. Erza decided to play 'let's beat Gray up and worry about it in the morning' again. Man, she hits hard."

Loke whistled in appreciation of the assessment before heading to bed.

**oOoOo**

"Carla, he kissed my hand! And he thanked me for being his date tonight! Ah, I had so much fun," Wendy sighed dreamily.

"Now, Wendy," Carla began, chastising the girl, "He's seventeen, and you're not yet even thirteen! He's much too old for you, and you need to get those silly thoughts out of your head before it's too late. You'll end up hurt."

"But, Carla, he's so nice! He didn't even fuss when I fell asleep on him in the theatre," Wendy argued, trying to justify her feelings to the Exceed. "And, he offered to walk me home; I didn't have to ask. Besides, you wouldn't fuss if I was seventeen and he was twenty-two."

Carla sighed to herself and let the girl prattle on. She would try to talk some sense into Wendy later, but for tonight she would suffer through the details of how the lion was so cute and kind, and had paid for her theatre ticket, and kissed her hand, and walked her home.

When Wendy finally drifted off to sleep, Carla sat on the edge of her bed. "I hope his intentions are as pure as yours, little one."

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

**Notes:**

1 – I was thinking the kind of place you'd go for Prom or some other school formal (we have some nice Italian restaurants where I live, which are "fancier" than somewhere like Chili's, but they're no five-star dining or anything).

2 – I do figure that the legal drinking age must be only 17 or 18 in Fiore.

3 – This is the real name of a real play, and that is the description about it, very slightly tweaked to fit the Fairy Tail setting. And that is also all the info I can find about it. But that sounded like a pretty funny concept, so I went with it.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:**__ So, I'm not sure how you would definite "sister complex", but if it's an indication of attraction between a brother and sister, that's not what I meant to be developing. What I was going for was OverprotectiveFather!Gray. If that's the definition, then, yeah, you could say he has a sister complex. (I admit, there are some concepts that are still foreign to me.)_

_A thank you to all of my reviewers. In case anyone was wondering, we've (Girl With Life Full of Anime & I) settled on "LoWen" as the ship name, so, yeah. Use it. Write it. Cause it's cute! I can't help myself. I have a soft spot for May-December romances sometimes. _

_As always, thank you to everyone who favorites/reads/reviews/follows. I write for my own enjoyment (and more so to pass the time), and knowing someone else was entertained just makes it all worthwhile. 8-)  
_

_Please enjoy some sisterly Erza and Wendy time!  
-Rachel Noelle_

_If "those who can't do, teach", then "those who can't own it, write fanfiction about it". ;)  
_

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

"I just don't get it, Erza," Gray said, sighing. It had been three weeks since their group of friends went out together for dinner and a play. Three weeks Gray had (sort-of, but not entirely) been giving Loke the cold shoulder. And three weeks Loke had been completely ignoring the usual female flock around him.

"Gray," Erza began cautiously, "Are you sure you don't have feelings for her yourself?"

Gray paled. "Ugh, of course not! The only person I am attracted to is," he paused, swallowing nervously, "uh, is not her. It's just that, I know how Loke is with women. Sure, he's always been respectful, but he has a different girlfriend every two weeks, sometimes several at once, and I hate to see Wendy get hurt. I just want what's best for her."

Erza nodded sagely. "I see. But you don't find her attractive?"

Gray gave her an incredulous look. "No. I don't find her attractive. Sure, she's cute; if I wanted to adopt a daughter she'd be the perfect choice, but she isn't old enough to date. Especially not someone like Loke."

Erza laughed outright. "You sound like her father, Gray."

Gray blushed. "Well, she isn't," Gray defended, "She could at least fall in love with someone her own age, like that boy who was looking at her in the lunchroom yesterday."

"The nerdy one with big glasses and buck teeth?" Erza asked, skeptically. Gray nodded. "Gray, that's horrible. You're picking on him because he's not as attractive as Loke."

"Oh, so you find Loke attractive, too?" Gray growled, feeling hurt. Erza just ignored him and rolled her eyes.

"Gray, we are her Vade Mecums, yes, but that does not make us her parents," Erza reasoned.

"Well, maybe we should be. She's an orphan, right? We could adopt her. Then I could keep her away from Loke until she's at least seventeen," Gray nodded firmly, satisfied with his obviously flawless plan.

Erza giggled. It was just too much. "As much as I love the idea of adopting Wendy to be my own daughter, we still couldn't make all of her decisions for her. Besides, she _is_ just twelve. It's probably a crush that she'll get over soon."

"Except that Loke hasn't been out with another girl since, and he sits with us instead of his fanclub every day at lunch. I mean, didn't you see the way he was acting with her?" Gray argued. "He even quit flirting with Lucy!"

Erza rolled her eyes. "That could just be because Lucy and Natsu are official now. And Loke is probably taking it a little roughly. Wouldn't you want to occupy yourself elsewhere for a while if someone you thought you'd been in love with started dating someone else?"

"Yeah, but," Gray began, resorting to whining to make Erza see reason. Loke had always known Lucy did not return his affections, and he never seemed to honestly take it seriously when he flirted with her, anyway. He noticed Erza giving him a stern look. Gray huffed, realizing he was out of options. "Would you at least talk to her, and let her know I'm concerned?" he asked. Erza smiled.

"I promise I'll talk to her. But I do not promise I'll change her mind."

**oOoOo**

"Yoo-hoo! Loke!" Mira called as Loke strolled into the student lounge on Saturday morning.

"Hi, Mira," Loke flashed her a charming smile, "What can I help you with?"

"I have a plan, and I need your help," Mira asked sweetly, fluttering her lashes and pouting cutely.

Loke frowned playfully. "You know I can't resist when you say it like that."

"Good," Mira chirped. "See, Wendy told me that Erza and Gray are still avoiding the obvious, so I was thinking…"

"Thinking what?" Loke asked, cautiously. Mira's plans could either work so well it hurt, or end in absolute disaster.

"Well, since you've been spending a lot of time with Wendy lately, maybe you guys could all plan to do something together, like visit an amusement park. Fantasy Island is open, and I just happen to have four tickets here, free for the taking," Mira waggled her brows, "While you're there, you and Wendy could suggest going on the Ferris Wheel, and wait until Erza and Gray are in a car and 'accidentally forget' Wendy is afraid of heights or something at the last minute, which would leave Erza and Gray stuck on the ride together. When their car gets to the top, it would be _just tragic_ if something happened, like, say, the motor breaks and needs immediate repair, and they were stuck for a while, wouldn't it?" Mira explained, finally pausing for breath.

Loke faced Mira with a look of utmost disbelief. "Where do you come up with plans like this?" he asked, astonished at her ability to fabricate such schemes.

"Um, well, Erza borrows books from Levy, and I borrow them from Erza," she explained, looking a little embarrassed.

Loke held up a hand and waved it around. "Say no more. I've heard enough." He held his chin in thought, tracing an invisible beard, "I just don't think that's the best idea. I tell you what, I'll trade you the tickets for a better plan."

Mira considered it. "I guess it is kind of silly," she consented, bouncing on her toes and twirling a strand of hair. "But if you don't come up with something else by then, you have to go through with my original plan," she declared, laughing.

Loke laughed with her. "Well, I'll come up with something. Either that, or, I hope the people riding together really like each other," he shrugged, bemused. "I wonder what Wendy would enjoy…"

Mira thought she heard an undertone in Loke's voice that she only heard when he truly was interested in a girl, but dismissed it as a silly notion. Loke didn't like Wendy. Did he?

**oOoOo**

Wendy was brushing her hair, humming to herself while waiting for Carla to return. Carla was out with Happy, enjoying a tasty fish or two (or so she said), and was due home within the hour. Wendy ran the brush through a tangle in her hair, trying unsuccessfully to get the tangle out. A loud knock sounded at her door and she nearly jumped, then began laughing at herself as she stood then tripped over a rug. (1)

She was still giggling when she opened the door to find Erza on the other side. "Hello, Erza!" Wendy chirruped, excited to see the older girl.

"Hi, Wendy," Erza greeted, "I was wondering if you had some time free? Maybe we could spend some time together?"

Wendy bounced a couple of times happily. "Of course! Would you like to come in?"

Erza smiled widely and stepped past the girl. She made herself comfortable on Wendy's bed, and after a brief moment offered to help Wendy brush through her hair.

"It's very lovely and soft," Erza complimented, detangling the blue strands expertly.

Wendy smiled in delight. "Thank you! It's not nearly as pretty as yours, though."

Erza chuckled. The two girls sat chatting about hair, school, and clothes, until the conversation turned to boys. Wendy talked about many of the boys in her classes and at the school, spending time gushing about a certain orange haired lion in particular.

"Why don't you tell Gray how you feel?" Wendy asked during a lull in the conversation, suddenly curious. Even she was wise enough to know the two cared deeply for one another.

"Um- uh," Erza stuttered out, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you love him," Wendy told her.

Erza blushed to match her hair. "Well, would you tell Loke that you love him?" Erza teased in return.

Wendy looked downcast. "Maybe," she said, toeing the ground, her tiptoes just barely able to reach the floor, "but, Carla says he'd just use me, and then I'd end up hurt."

Erza sighed. "That sounds like Gray. I swear, he's being so ridiculous about this whole thing. He's acting like he's your father," Erza couldn't resist a giggle. Erza deepened her voice mockingly to imitate Gray, "Tell Wendy she's too young to be dating!" Erza wagged a finger at no one, "If he dates her, it wouldn't last two weeks before he'd find someone else he was in love with. No one's going to hurt my daughter like that!"

The girls collapsed into a heap of giggles on the bed.

"Would you be the mother, coming to my defense?" Wendy asked, still all smiles. Erza gave a firm nod.

"Now, Gray dear," she said, her voice a slightly higher pitch than normal, "You know that Wendy is old enough to make some of her own decisions. I mean, she is my daughter, and you trust my judgment, don't you? I married you, after all."

"But, Wendy's too young!" Wendy chimed in, assuming the role of Gray. "He's much too old for her!"

"That's what all of our friends said about you, too. But we didn't listen to them, now did we?" Erza continued.

Wendy giggled harder than before. "But, Erza!"

"But, Gray! She'll never be old enough to date if you have it your way." The girls continued laughing until their stomachs hurt and they lay on the bed, panting.

After all had been quiet for a few minutes, Wendy sighed, "It would be nice, though."

"What would?" Erza turned her head to face the younger girl.

"Having parents. Since I lost Grandeeney, I've always wanted a new family." Wendy smiled sadly.

Erza was lost for words. Instead she hugged the girl tightly, wiping away a few stray tears. "It would be nice. Maybe one day we could legally be a family. But for now, we're still here for you, no matter what. You're our friend." Erza grinned and added, "And my minion."

"Erza," Wendy asked softly, "what do you think about Loke?"

Erza took a moment to consider before answering. "He has been rather taken with Lucy since they first contracted as battle partners, but he says it's just friendship. He _is_ five years older than you, which can be a lot, especially right now," she said. Wendy looked crestfallen at Erza's words, to which Erza continued, "He is completely devoted to whomever he truly loves, friends or lovers alike. He is skilled in combat, and intelligent. And he is very charming and good-looking. Or so I assume, judging by the amount of girls that flock after him. You'll have a lot of competition, a lot of jealous rumors, and possibly a bad reputation," she finished, cautioning Wendy regarding such a relationship.

Wendy's face fell. That was definitely something she had not considered. "But I promise, if he purposely hurts you in any way at all, I'll castrate him myself," Erza said, smiling. "It is your decision, and I will do what I can to support you."

Wendy smiled and hugged the scarlet haired girl tightly. "Thank you, Erza. But don't worry, I'm sure he thinks I'm too young and foolish, anyway."

For the second time that evening a loud knock sounded from the door and Wendy jumped, nearly falling from the bed. Erza stood to answer the door while Wendy recovered.

Erza swung the door open a bit more forcefully than she intended and was immediately surprised to see Loke on the other side. "Um, Loke, hi," she said, cocking a suspicious brow at the orange haired lion.

"Erza," he replied, obviously just as surprised to see her as she was him, "I wondered why you didn't answer. Now I know."

Erza continued to stare at Loke for a moment until Wendy came to the door. "Loke! Hello!" Wendy greeted brightly.

Loke broke into a large grin. "Hi, Wendy! I was looking for you and Erza, and since I've found you, I was wondering if you two would like to go to Fantasy Island with me next weekend?"

"Fantasy Island?" Erza questioned, "That new amusement park they were building just outside Magnolia?"

"That's the one. I would be honored if you two lovely ladies would accompany me. These free tickets aren't going to use themselves," Loke smiled, trying to be suave and flirtatious. He caused Wendy to blush and happily agree, but Erza was still looking suspiciously at him. "Hey, I asked Gray first, and he said he would only come if you did, Erza," he shrugged, hoping he wouldn't get caught in his little white lie (which he seemed to be falling victim to a lot lately).

"Please, Erza?" Wendy begged, tugging Erza's arm. "It could be your chance to tell Gray how you feel!"

Erza struggled to stammer out any kind of answer for several seconds.

Loke turned around to leave, acting slightly downtrodden. "Okay, well, Wendy, I'll see you in school Monday, and we can talk more then. But, Erza," he paused and looked over his shoulder, "if you don't do it soon, he'll give up and accept Juvia's affection."

"Okay, fine!" Erza called, finally making some sense of her shock. "I'll go. But he better be coming!" she threatened.

**oOoOo**

Loke found Gray in the student lounge, sitting at the bar and commiserating with Gajeel over how Natsu's behavior had changed so dramatically. Now, instead of being annoying and trying to start fights with everyone and everything, Natsu was much more relaxed and less rash.

"Meh, I don't care. He'd just lose to me, anyway," Gajeel stated, getting up from the bar. "I gotta meet the shrimp."

"It's just a phase," Loke said reassuringly, butting in to the conversation as he sat beside his fellow comrades. "I give it another week before he's back to wrecking the guild hall."

"Hey, look who showed up, it's the cradle robber," Gajeel poked fun at Loke, who laughed nervously.

"Cradle robber?" Loke asked, now confused and fighting a blush. If Gajeel meant what Loke thought he might...

"Yep," came Gajeel's short reply. "Gotta go!"

Loke just shrugged, feeling more confused now than before. He took a seat beside Gray and ordered a drink from Mira.

"Here you are, one ticket to accompany myself, Wendy, and Erza to Fantasy Island next Saturday," Loke said, sliding a ticket toward Gray. He cast Gray a pleading look, causing the raven haired boy to laugh heartily, "You have to go; otherwise Erza's going to kill me. Or worse, castrate me."

Ignoring his desire to strangle Loke for playing with Wendy's feelings, Gray agreed. A day at an amusement park might be quite entertaining. "Alright. Sounds like a plan."

"So when are you two going to stop playing house and finally make out or something?" Loke asked, enjoying Gray's embarrassment and frustration.

"When are you going to stop robbing cradles?" Gray huffed, then quickly stormed out.

Loke sat at the bar alone, feeling incredibly confused.

**oOoOo**

Erza woke with a start and sat bolt upright, panting and nearly out of breath, her heart racing a thousand miles an hour. It was the same dream she had been having for a few weeks now, where she was trapped inside a tower, fighting against a blue haired boy who looked like her lost childhood love, Jellal. She was fading fast in their fight, and just as the blue haired boy raised his sword to take a final blow against her, Gray rushed in front of her, his back to the boy, grabbing Erza in a tight embrace. The blow meant for her met his back, and with his final words Gray whispered that he loved her, enough to die for her. (2)

Erza wept as she struggled to regain control of her body. She loved Gray deeply, but she would never ask him to die for her. She hugged her knees to her chest, shivering. When she was breathing normally again, she climbed out of bed and requipped into a somewhat less provocative nightgown. She didn't mind Gray seeing her in her revealing clothing, but if she happened across any other boys in the building she didn't want them fantasizing about her. She quickly snatched up her room key and headed out the door.

Gray drowsily came to consciousness, his head fuzzy from sleep. He thought the knocking sound he heard was something he was dreaming, but found himself unable to immediately go back to sleep. Deciding his mouth was dry anyway, he got up in the darkness and plodded to the sink to get a glass of water. The swift rapping drifted to his ears again, accompanied by a feminine voice pleading, "Please, Gray, be here. Open up. Please."

Judging by the tone of voice he did not expect Juvia. He suspected he might have had another admirer recently, a first year girl likely, but who else would be brave enough to risk the torture of the Resident Assistant on their floor, Jason? He was a nut, and if he discovered a girl in the boys' dorms after hours, could possible ruin a girl's (or guy's) reputation.

Needless to say, Gray was in for quite a surprise when he opened his door, only to be met by Erza lunging at him and flinging her arms around him tightly, knocking them to the floor.

"Oh, Gray, thank God you're here! I was so worried. Don't you ever sacrifice yourself for me, do you hear me?" she began rambling, her tear streaked face pleading with him.

"Erza, I can't make that promise," he whispered, sadly, "unless you do the same." He patted her head then ran his fingers through her hair soothingly.

"I can't do that, Gray," she sniffled, burying her face against his chest. He wished for a moment he had worn a shirt to sleep in, as it could have soaked up her tears.

"What's the matter? What happened to get you so upset? I haven't seen you cry like this in years," he questioned, slipping a hand under her chin to make her look at him.

Erza didn't say anything for some time and laid her head back on his chest, ear pressed to listen to his heartbeat, clearly feeling silly and embarrassed. "Erza, you can tell me. I'm not going to laugh or make fun of you," he prompted.

"It was just a bad dream," she replied, now trying to be dismissive. Gray gave her a hard look, which she sensed more than saw in the dark, and she sighed. "One I've been having for a few weeks. We're trapped inside a huge tower, like in the fairy tales, and I'm fighting with someone I think I know from my past, and just as he's about to finish me, you rush in, taking the blow meant for me. And you die, Gray. You're not supposed to die!" she wailed.

Gray wrapped his arms around Erza lovingly. "Did I at least tell you I love you first?" he asked, feeling warmth rise into his cheeks, even in the darkness.

Despite herself, Erza gave a small smile. "You did."

"Then it's all going to be okay. Besides, it was just a dream, right? And I'm still here now," Gray said softly, still stroking her hair.

There was very little light, the moon not being full and the curtains and doors to the outside closed. But in it, Gray could see Erza's face above his; he could feel her warm breath on his skin; he could touch their lips together. The look still lingering on Erza's face made him do just that. He raised his head up ever so slightly and placed a gentle kiss on Erza's lips. He didn't expect a warm response, and didn't need one; he just wanted Erza to know he loved her.

Even in her dreams, he loved her enough to die for her.

The kiss was lingering and sweet, though chaste. Erza didn't fully return the gesture, but at least she didn't recoil. She just hugged Gray back tightly.

Gray let her lay on top of him, his rump still aching from where it met the floor, for a few more minutes. Finally he couldn't take much more of the discomfort. "You know, I definitely enjoy you on top of me and all, but can we at least move to the bed?" he asked, expecting to be backhanded for his forwardness. He involuntarily flinched as Erza raised a hand to help herself up.

They stood and embraced again, Gray unwilling to let Erza go. She came to him in her time of need, and by God, he was going to be there for her. Finally she stepped back, holding his hands in hers. "I should get back, in case something happens," she said, her tone sad.

"Stay with me. Just for tonight," Gray suggested, tugging her towards the bed. Without much coaxing, she let him lead her to the bed where they crawled under the covers, her back to him and his arms around her protectively. They lay in peaceful silence, cuddled up together, until they drifted into unconsciousness.

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

Notes:

1 – Yeah, that could so be me I'm talking about here. I'm pretty sure I've done this a few dozen times. ;)

2 – It's just a reference to the Tower of Heaven arc, not an indication that Jellal is going to be playing a big part in this. He might make a few appearances, but I promised the story would have more happy endings and less war and chaos.


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:**__ I rewrote this about 4 times before finally deciding I liked it. I hope it reads well. Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing. Now, for your next fix of GrayZa and LoWen. Cause you know you love it. ;-)_

_I hope Gray and Loke don't sound too much like girls, hahaha._

_Thanks for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think.  
-Rachel Noelle_

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

Gray woke up to a light streaming through the part in his curtains, directed right at his eyes. He moved his hand to shield his eyes, feeling the warmth of someone else beside him. He smiled, excited to see she had stayed. He was glad to have woken first, since he was entertaining the usual morning visitor, and would have time to let his body relax before she woke up and killed him. Or worse, castrated him.

He inhaled the scent of the scarlet haired woman lying beside him, enjoying the sweet feminine scent that followed her everywhere. And although he wouldn't dare tell his friends, because they'd take "sleeping together" completely the wrong way, he smiled as he mentally did a happy dance. Erza was in his bed, cuddled up to him. And they could do as they pleased, since they were adults. _And it's Sunday, so we can be lazy,_ Gray thought to himself. _Or is it? Wait… _his eyes opened wide, _It's Monday!_

"Erza! Wake up!" he shouted, sitting up abruptly and scaring the poor girl half to death. He checked the clock and found it to be 7:00am. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. There was still time. (1)

"What?" she said, also sitting bolt upright. "What's the matter, Gray?" she panted lightly as she focused.

"Erza, we have to get ready for class," Gray told her, finally having regained his composure. "It's Monday morning." He stumbled out of bed and began rifling through his clothes. He found a clean shirt and was about to change into jeans when he recalled Erza's presence. He turned and looked embarrassedly at her. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have asked you to stay last night. Now you could be late and it's my fault," he said shyly, a brazen streak peeking through as he added with a flirtatious timbre, "I'll let you hit me, as long as you kiss where it hurts."

"Gray, you're impossible," Erza replied, smiling despite feeling like she should be angry. "I guess being late to class just this once will be okay. Besides, I can just requip and change. I just hope Wendy didn't waste too much time waiting for me."

Though he felt guilty for possibly causing Wendy distress, Gray felt himself sigh with relief. She wasn't going to murder him for making her ruin her perfect attendance record. Not today.

"Do you have a hairbrush?" Erza asked. Gray indicated a dresser with a brush and small mirror. Erza stood, noticing something flesh-colored trying to peek from Gray's boxers, and quickly turned away, busying herself brushing her hair. "You might want to put that thing back in your pants, Gray," she told the Ice Mage.

Gray let out a very unmanly squeak and disappeared into the bathroom, both he and Erza turning bright red. He heard her giggle after he confined himself to the small room. He changed quickly then splashed cold water on his face to encourage the blush to vanish. With his morning erection now completely gone (the embarrassment having helped that), he could breathe a sigh of relief.

"Gray, do you have anything for breakfast?" Erza called from the other room.

Gray ran a wet hand through his hair in a weak attempt to manage it. He walked out of the bathroom to find Erza in the kitchen he shared with Loke. "I don't really have much, maybe a candy bar or some chips," he said, shrugging sadly. "I'll buy you breakfast in the lounge if you want."

Erza turned away from the cabinets. "Okay, that sounds good," she smiled. She ruffled his damp hair. Her arms slowly snaked around his neck and he found himself leaning slowly closer to her. She pressed her soft lips against his briefly. "Thank you," she whispered as she backed up.

The door to Loke's room closed with a loud thud, making Erza jump. "Oh, hi Erza," Loke said nonchalantly. "Morning."

"Good morning, Loke," she returned. It would not be the first time she and Loke had met in his and Gray's kitchen. She turned to Gray. "We should get going if we're going to eat before school."

Gray sighed. It was going to take more than one kiss and a night of cuddling to get this ball rolling.

**oOoOo**

Wendy sighed sadly to herself. She thought she had heard Erza crying during the night, and when she woke in the morning and went to check, Erza was already gone. Wendy worried about her friend. She had been exhausted in the mornings lately, and always looked on the verge of tears. It was probably just stress, but Wendy was still concerned.

Wendy sat toward the back of her classroom, doodling in a notebook. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder and turned to face whoever it was attached to. Loke smiled down at her. "You okay?" he asked his smile faltering briefly.

"Oh, hi Loke," she greeted, returning the smile, "yes, I'm fine. I was just worrying about Erza. I think she had a nightmare last night, and she was already gone when I left. We usually walk to class together with Lucy, Levy, and Juvia."

"I'm pretty sure she's fine now. Better than fine, I'd guess," he said, sharing a secret grin with Wendy as he took a seat beside her. A few girls from her class gathered around, admiring the lion. "I hope you don't mind me stopping by to say hello. I kind of needed to get out of Gray's way for a while this morning."

"Not at all," Wendy assured him. "What's wrong with Gray?"

Loke laughed nervously. "Nothing's wrong. We just, uh, ran into each other in the kitchen this morning, and, well, I had things to do, anyway."

The confused look Wendy gave him made him laugh. He leaned in close to her ear, unintentionally sending a shiver up her spine as he whispered, "When he's ready to talk, you'll be the first to know." Wendy nodded in understanding.

Another boy about Loke's age appeared in the classroom, causing yet more heads to turn and girls to fawn. "Speak of the devil," muttered Loke as Gray walked up to the pair.

"Hi Wendy," Gray greeted, flashing her a bright smile. She replied in kind. "Sorry to interrupt your chat here, Cradle Robber, but I have something to discuss with you. Natsu needs our help with a job."

Loke raised his eyebrows, wishing everyone would quit calling him that horrible name. He wasn't even sure what it meant, but he had guessed it wasn't good. "What kind of job?" he asked Gray.

"Apparently there've been some more ruins discovered just outside of town. Some kind of rumor going around about them being related to dragons, and, naturally, Natsu wants to go look," explained Gray.

Loke wasn't sure, but the story sounded kind of fishy. "Sure. When do we leave?"

"He wants to meet up in half an hour in the lounge. But I'm going to head that way now. I'm starving." Gray rubbed his belly for emphasis.

"I take it you and Erza didn't eat food for breakfast," Loke teased. Gray rolled his eyes, unable to stop the blush dusting his cheeks. Loke stood from his seat. "My apologies, Princess," he told Wendy, employing the now customary gesture of a kiss to the hand, "but I am needed elsewhere for the time. I will see you when we return."

Gray groaned. "Oh, just come on."

**oOoOo**

"So what's really going on?" Loke asked Gray as they made their way to the lounge.

"What do you mean?" asked Gray, feigning innocence.

Loke cast Gray a sidelong glance. "I mean does this job actually exist, what happened with Erza, and why the hell does everyone keep calling me a cradle robber?"

Gray stopped suddenly. The boys were outside on the grass, about halfway between the school and the student lounge. "Yes, it is a real job. It should only take us until the afternoon to complete. We're basically just going to be used as work horses," a now exasperated Gray intoned, trying to avoid the other questions.

"Ah, I see. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but, if the pay is good," Loke shrugged.

"It's good. 25,000 Jewel each, just to haul crap around for a day. It might suck, but it'll be worth it," Gray agreed.

They stood facing each other, Loke staring at Gray, waiting for answers. "So," he prompted, unable to resist a grin, "Erza. Why was she in our kitchen this morning? She hasn't slept over in a couple of years now."

"Listen, you perverted cradle robber, nothing like that happened!" Gray snapped, immediately defensive.

"Whoa, dude, relax," Loke encouraged, putting his hands up in defense. "I mean it. Is she okay?"

Gray visibly relaxed. "Sorry," he muttered. "But, yeah. It was just a nightmare. She just needed some comfort, and she fell asleep."

Loke raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Ugh, fine," Gray reluctantly continued, "She knocked me down, holding onto me, I told her it'd be okay, I kissed her once, and we went to sleep in the bed. Nothing, really."

"And she kissed you this morning, eh?" Loke smiled and patted Gray on the back in congratulations. "Good job, man, taming the great Titania, Queen of the Fairies!"

"Shut up," Gray declared loudly, emphasizing each word, "Like you've got room to talk. You're stealing babies from their cradles!"

"Why does everyone keep saying that? What exactly does that mean?" Loke asked, now frustrated as well.

The look Loke wore on his face was one of pure confusion and Gray couldn't help laughing at his expense. Maybe it was just what he'd been needing lately, because when he regained his breath he could honestly say he no longer felt any animosity toward his best friend.

"If you're finished?" Loke asked, arms crossed and clearly unamused.

"It's about Wendy. She's a lot younger than you right now. And since you two are kind of a thing," Gray made air quotes while he spoke, "you're considered a cradle robber." Gray shrugged, not sure what else to say.

Loke's mouth formed an 'O'. "Ah, I guess that does make sense," he laughed nervously, scratching his head, "Although I don't think she thinks we're a thing," Loke copied Gray's earlier use of the hand gesture.

"Fools in love are always blind," a sweet, feminine voice rang from up the path a ways. The boys turned to see Mira walking toward them. "I was actually just coming to tell you I was stepping out for a minute, but I'll return shortly. Headmaster has asked me to bring him some documents."

The young men watched Mira walk away. Loke couldn't help the smile slowly creeping onto his face.

Gray leveled his gaze with the other boy and stepped close to him. "I know it's not my decision what you do, but if you dare lead Wendy on or break her heart, you better hope Erza finds you first." Gray walked on toward the lounge, leaving Loke behind to contemplate.

**oOoOo**

Gajeel found Loke and Gray in the lounge well before Natsu showed up. Loke and Gray, apparently having exhausted their supply of conversation for the day, did not say much beyond greetings so Gajeel took pen to paper and worked on lyrics to a new song.

"How does 'I'm too sexy for my cat / Too sexy for my cat / Poor pussy poor pussy cat / I'm too sexy for my love / Too sexy for my love / Love's going to leave me / And I'm too sexy for this song' sound?" Gajeel asked. (2)

"It's kinda sad watching you attempt to fit your entire vocabulary into a sentence," Gray joked. He and Loke shared a laugh as Gajeel just huffed.

"Where've you been, Flame Breath?" Gray asked Natsu as he ran into lounge, nearly half an hour late to his own meeting.

"He's been doin' the horizontal tango," Gajeel laughed, clapping Natsu on the back.

"I can't dance," Natsu returned innocently. Gray's head hit the table in front of him in disbelief. "What's wrong with you, Ice Princess?"

"He had a good night last night," Loke jeered playfully, his eyebrows waggling.

"Um, okay…" Natsu continued. "I still don't know what Metal Head is talking about. You guys know I can't dance."

"He means you've been doing the nasty, with Lucy," Gray muttered, face still pressed against the tabletop.

"Lucy isn't nasty," Natsu said, his face showing confusion. "I know she showered last night."

"He means you've been making it with a lady," Loke informed him, thrusting his hips into the air as he and Gray burst into raucous laughter at Natsu's blush.

"Have not," Natsu weakly defended, huffing.

"Eh, the bookworms do take a little time to warm up, but they're better in the morning once you do," Gajeel crowed, grinning.

"Women are a wonderful gift, to be enjoyed at any time of the day. They are versatile, and have many qualities which you can love," Makarov spoke, surprising them. "Especially those voluptuous enough to suffocate you in their bosom."

"Hey, Gramps, what are you doing here?" Natsu asked.

"Good morning, Natsu. I'm here to fill you in on the details of this job. Now, if you boys are finished, we need to get started."

**oOoOo**

"Well that was positively the worst day of my life," Natsu groaned as the four young men hobbled back to their dorms that evening. "No information or anything useful, all just to be treated like slaves."

"When they said they needed help moving stuff around, I thought they meant equipment. Not boulders," Gray commiserated.

"I'm so tired, I don't even have the energy to pick on you, Ice Princess," Natsu replied.

"Shut up, Flame Breath," Gray growled. He didn't have the energy to argue, either.

Loke hummed softly to himself. "What's with Cradle Robber?" Gajeel asked, as Loke was more or less ignoring the other three.

"He's just happy because Wendy likes him," Gray mumbled. "And I guess I sort of gave him my blessing. Not that it ever mattered."

Gajeel laughed heartily. "Good for him. Let him try a Dragon Slayer on for size."

**oOoOo**

Erza drummed her fingers on the desk in her room. She had several books open and papers scattered everywhere, her attempts to work on a school project in vain. For almost five days she had tried to avoid Gray. Actually, she had no desire to avoid Gray, she just wanted to avoid touching him or sitting too close, for fear something might happen.

He had not pushed her to anything further, and she couldn't tell if he was treating her the same or just allowing her time and space. Gray was her friend first, and she had no desire to lose him. A relationship could potentially ruin everything. What if the breakup was bad? What if he met someone else he loved more than her? If they were only friends, she could suffer in silence, without ruining his good time, too.

Erza needed sleep, but she didn't feel like she _could_ sleep. When Wendy knocked at her door, asking if she was still up and willing to help paint the girl's nails Erza jumped at the chance to clear her mind.

"What color do you want?" Wendy asked Erza as the girls sat on Erza's oversized bed, primping. Erza had to admit she had finally relaxed some. "How about this one?" Wendy held up a bottle of dark blue polish. "It matches Gray's eyes, and his Fairy Tail mark," she grinned.

Erza felt foolish and silly and elated as Wendy painted the toenails on one foot, then the other. And she felt sillier still when Wendy finished her fingernails and she sat admiring their beautiful blue color.

"I bet he'll like it," Wendy told her.

"I doubt he'll notice," Erza replied, slightly discouraged by the thought.

Erza helped Wendy braid her hair for the night. "I doubt it'll stay until tomorrow," Erza said, smiling, "But it should be a little curly in the morning. I bet Loke will like it," Erza teased this time. "I think I heard him saying he wanted to take you on the Ferris Wheel." Erza waggled her brows suggestively and Wendy flushed an adorable shade of pink.

Wendy talked about an incident with Gray mysteriously losing his clothes (while helping Wendy study for a test in the library), and not realizing it until a group of eleven and twelve year old girls were staring. The girls laughed and broke into a pillow fight. When they were simply too tired to carry on, Erza and Wendy crawled beneath the covers and snuggled into bed, falling into a peaceful sleep.

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo **

Notes:

1 – I'm assuming everything starts at 8:00am. (What an awful time, btw, haha.)  
2 – From "I'm too Sexy" by Right Said Fred.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: **__First, to "Guest", thank you so much for the review. I am glad you're enjoying it, and that it reads well. Thank you for the praise._

_To everyone else, thank you for reading and reviewing. I prefer to respond to reviews via message, but if you don't sign in, I can't. Thank you all for your support. It means so much to know other people are enjoying something I devised. _

_Second, does anyone do fanart? I'd really like to have a pic of Wendy and Loke, sitting on the bench, either holding hands or hugging. Just saying. _

_And lastly, this chapter is mostly just fluff, and is here to help set the scene for the next chapter. The next chapter (as long as everything goes according to plan) is going to feature the something special I've had in mind for Wendy since the beginning. _

_Thanks for reading. Please review and let me know what you think!  
-Rachel Noelle_

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo **

On Saturday morning, when the girls awoke, they feasted on strawberry covered pancakes before spending time worrying which clothes to wear. They settled for simple outfits which allowed for them to easily navigate an amusement park and its attractions. They met up with Gray and Loke in the student lounge at 9 o'clock, and enjoyed a blissfully peaceful and short train ride to their destination.

Loke handled their tickets with the gateman, who stamped each of their hands, and they made their way slowly into the park. A tall roller coaster towered over the park, its red and blue frame and cars gleaming in the sunlight. A large sign advertising the attraction read, "Dragon Slayer".

Wendy pointed up at it, her eyes alight with excitement, and declared, "I wanna ride that!"

Gray paled and Loke laughed nervously.

"Sure, why not?" Erza agreed. The two girls took off toward the ride, leaving the boys panicking as they followed quickly behind.

The wait in the line was miserable and long, which only fed into the panic and anxiety the boys experienced at the idea of riding such a device.

"Are you sure you want to ride this?" Loke asked Wendy not less than a dozen times.

"Yes!" Wendy replied happily. "I love roller coasters! They're so much fun. And the feeling of turning upside down and the way your stomach feels like it just falls out of your body is just so exhilarating."

After the tenth or so time he asked, Wendy countered with, "Are you scared?" accompanied by a sly grin.

Gray would have said something had he not been sharing Loke's sentiment.

"No, of course not," Loke laughed nervously, hand automatically moving to his hair. "I'm just worried about you. But, you know, if you do change your mind, it'll be okay."

"Well, if you kids are afraid of the big, bad roller coaster, you're welcome to leave us ladies to ride. That's not a very manly way to act, though. Wait until Elfman hears about this," laughed Erza teasing the two males unrelentingly.

"Hey, now, don't jump to conclusions," Gray cut in. "We're just saying that we completely understand if you ladies would like to skip this, is all."

"I guess we'll just have to ride it by ourselves," Wendy told Erza, both girls grinning widely.

Loke and Gray just looked put out and stayed put. They grudgingly moved up the line behind the girls, their anxiety continuing to build. When their turn came, Wendy wanted to sit in the front seat and Gray shot Loke a delighted grin as he agreed to sit with the younger girl.

Gray was not much luckier as he and Erza occupied the seat behind them.

The train slowly climbed the hill, the slow "click, click, click" exciting Wendy. Behind them, Gray took hold of Erza's hand for support and refused to let go. The descent down the first hill left them all screaming and cheering for more excitement.

One ride was enough to make everyone want to go back for more. Wendy bravely led them from coaster to coaster to thrill ride, all of them laughing and enjoying themselves. They were turned upside down, tossed from side to side, spun around until they were nearly sick, and dropped from incredible heights. In the afternoon they wandered around looking for games to play and something to eat.

Erza spotted a vendor selling food, lemonade, and strawberry cake flavored cotton candy. She left Loke, Wendy, and Gray at a game booth, Loke and Gray competing against each other to win a prize. They were throwing balls to knock down milk cartons, neither one having much success. Loke finally managed to knock one over and win a small prize. He, naturally, let Wendy pick, and she chose a cute, beaded bracelet.

"That way I can just wear it and not have to carry it around all day," she told Loke as he fastened it on her wrist.

"I guess that makes sense," Gray agreed. Erza finally returned, bringing food and drinks for everyone, with cotton candy for dessert.

"They don't have actual strawberry cake, of course," she told the others matter-of-factly, "but they do have cotton candy in Strawberry Cake flavor."

Gray laughed. It was so completely Erza to insist on something like that.

Hours later, as the evening was settling in and lights were coming on, the small group made their way to the fated Ferris wheel.

"I just love to ride it," Erza said with starry eyes. "It's so beautiful and amazing looking out over the landscape and watching people."

Loke smiled inwardly. Mira's plan was going to work itself out after all. And, without any intervention on his part. "Well, why don't we ride it next?" he suggested hopefully.

"That sounds like a plan," Gray put in.

Wendy did not agree, but worried about voicing her objections. Loke had spoken shortly about Mira's plan, which involved her deciding not to ride the Ferris wheel at the last minute, but Wendy would have preferred to avoid it from the beginning. She nervously followed the others as they made their way through the line.

The cars were small, seating only two or three people each, and Loke cast up a silent prayer in thanks.

They finally made it to the front of the line. Wendy suggested Erza and Gray go ahead, since she would like to ride with Loke. After the two eldest in the group were secured into one of the cars, Wendy turned to Loke, her eyes pleading. He mistook the look as asking if she had done well with her act.

"Wow. Great job, Wendy. Mira should be happy now," he chuckled.

"Do you really want to ride?" Wendy asked, biting her bottom lip nervously.

"Of course! It's so nice to look out at everything and see it all from a new perspective," Loke said, smiling charmingly.

"Oh, okay then," Wendy reluctantly agreed. She put on a brave face and boarded the next car, Loke sliding into the seat beside her. She squeezed her eyes shut as the ride began to move.

In the car above them Erza sat enjoying the view. "It's always so lovely to look out and see the land and city like this," she sighed wistfully.

"The view is lovely," Gray began, using a cheesy line he picked up from who knows where, "and the landscape is nice, too."

"Gray, you're such a ham," Erza grinned. She leaned back, Gray wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer. After almost a week of avoiding touching or being in the same room for too long it felt nice to have her in his arms again. She turned her head to face him, eyes half-lidded and lips parted slightly.

Gray leaned in, his lips meeting hers softly. An initial moment of shock seemed to transpire between them before they relaxed and enjoyed the gesture. Erza's hands found their way to Gray's hair and tugged lightly. Gray moaned involuntarily, causing Erza to smile into the kiss. He sucked on her lips, enjoying the sweet cotton candy taste still clinging to them. His hands moved up and down her sides as he forced himself to not get carried away. There would be time for that later, and certainly a better place than an amusement park ride.

Erza broke the kiss, looking equally excited and forlorn. "What if this ruins our friendship? Then what do we do?" Erza asked, wishing to settle matters.

Gray sighed. He knew it was too good to be true. "It won't. Besides, isn't it going to ruin our friendship if we keep dancing around, afraid to try? What if we never date? Are you going to be happy if I eventually find someone else? I know I'm not going to be excited about you hooking up with another guy," Gray told her, hoping she would come around.

They sat in silence for several moments, Erza's eyes searching Gray's face for any indication he was having second thoughts about them. Erza slowly nodded and looked away. "I guess you're right," she said slowly, still not looking at Gray, "But, promise me something," she prompted.

"What is that?" Gray asked.

"That if… the very worst happens, and we decide to end things, that you can be civil with me. Especially if we were to ever have a family. I promise the same to you."

"I think I can handle that," Gray said, smiling softly at her. She finally turned back to face him. She took one of his hands in hers, lacing their fingers together.

"So," Gray began, unsure but hopeful, "Are we making this official, then?"

"It's official," Erza nodded before Gray's restraint ran out and he swiftly captured her lips in a tender kiss.

Meanwhile, Wendy was still sitting pressed as far back into the seat of the Ferris wheel as her small body could go. Loke spent the first several seconds of the ride looking out at everything, commenting on the now ant-sized people and tiny buildings, as is required of Ferris wheel riders. He noticed that Wendy was being quite still and not speaking at all, prompting him to take a look at her.

Her eyes were tightly squeezed shut and she was shivering. "Wendy, are you okay?" he asked, concerned for the blue haired girl.

"No," came the short, honest reply.

"I'm sorry. What's wrong?" he asked, his concern growing.

"Nothing," she answered this time in the same clipped tone.

Loke chuckled and sat back, embracing her. "Hey, now, you can tell me." When Wendy didn't reply further he asked, "Are you scared?"

Wendy peeked at him through one eye and nodded, trying and failing not to blush.

"Why didn't you say something?" he asked, astounded. "We'll tell the attendant to let us off when we get back around."

They safely made it back to firm ground before Loke asked, "How can someone who wanted to ride the biggest roller coaster in the park first and foremost be scared of a Ferris wheel?" (1)

Wendy "humphed" and crossed her arms, still embarrassed. "Because, it's rickety and swings around too much. Did you see how loose those bolts were? And what if someone decides to swing the car too hard, it'll throw us out on our heads!"

She sat on a nearby bench, looking upset. Loke knelt down in front of her. "I see, Princess," he took her hand in the customary way, "I will remember that for next time."

Wendy giggled. His calling her princess and kissing her hand always made her smile. "Let's get some ice cream," she suggested, feeling better and smiling again.

They had their ice cream and returned to their bench to wait for Erza and Gray (who were opting for a few more rides around the wheel). Loke lay across the bench, gazing up at the stars. Wendy sat on the front of the seat, her hands clasped in her lap, head turned upward to admire the view. With one arm behind his head as a cushion, Loke let the other relax at his side.

Unsure if the prompt would be enough, Wendy moved her hands, placing them on the bench by her sides.

Loke nonchalantly reached for the hand nearest to his grasp, pretending to admire the bracelet he had won her in the game earlier in the day. He peered at her painted fingernails, a pretty orange shade, and took the opportunity of her open hand to lace his fingers with hers.

Wendy looked at Loke, smiling and nervous. "You know," he began, a small smile on his face, "we might never work."

Wendy's smile fell. Before she could protest, or worse, accept defeat, Loke continued, "You'll have a lot of jealous girls being mean to you, and spreading rumors. It's been the cause of a few break ups already. The last one was… really ugly."

"I know," Wendy said, nodding her head. She really wasn't sure what else to say. A few tears fell from her eyes. She might be young, but it definitely felt like rejection.

Loke hurriedly sat up and hugged her tightly. He chuckled softly. "I don't know what you heard, but I just said it was going to be difficult. It's okay to change your mind, and, heck, you probably will, but forewarned is forearmed." They lay back on the bench together, Loke's arms around her tightly, Wendy smiling and humming in delight.

"I think she can handle a few jealous girls. If not, Erza sure as heck can," Gray said, surprising them. "Besides, she has me and you both here, too. And plenty of others in the school and guild. I don't see what the big deal is." He shrugged. Wendy and Loke sat up, smiling at Gray with his arm snuggly around Erza's waist.

"That's right!" Wendy agreed emphatically. "I can handle a few jealous girls."

"Good then," Loke agreed.

Erza yawned. "I think it's time to head home. I'm beat." They all agreed and headed for the exit, Erza leading the way dragging a love-drunk Gray behind her, Loke and Wendy trailing behind, hands joined again.

**oOoOo**

The next few weeks passed without incident. Erza and Gray began appearing in public together as a couple, holding hands and sneaking kisses. Erza resolved not to sleep over at Gray's for some while still, afraid things might move far too quickly if she did. And they, with the help of Natsu, Lucy, Levy and even Gajeel and Juvia, kept their ears open for any indication Wendy was being victimized.

Erza and Gray sat at the usual table in the lunchroom, conversing about the relative normalcy at present, when Loke rushed in looking panicked.

"Dude, what's up?" Gray asked as Loke took a seat across from them.

Nervously, Loke explained, "I just got a letter from Aries. She's coming to Magnolia next week, and wants to see me while she's here."

"I thought you two had decided you were okay with just being friends?" Gray asked.

"Yeah, but, what the hell am I going to tell Wendy?" Loke asked in return, exasperated. "Hey, Wendy, this Aries, my ex. She's just visiting, so don't let her good looks and big boobs and the fact that she's older than you get to you, okay?"

"Well, I certainly wouldn't suggest that," Lucy said, taking a seat next to Loke. "Aries, though? Is she also a Celestial Spirit?" (2)

Loke nodded then immediately wished he hadn't. Lucy's face lit up with anticipation. "No," Loke said flatly.

"Okay, fine. At least not right now," Lucy grumped.

"I think she's still contracted with someone else, anyway," Loke replied.

"Oh, alright. But with Wendy," Lucy said, her finger resting on her chin in thought, "Why not just tell her the truth. I mean, wouldn't you want to know if your boyfriend's ex showed up randomly?" Loke gave Lucy an incredulous look. "Okay, girlfriend, whatever."

"Yeah, but, how do I tell Wendy? I don't want her to already feel like she's struggling to keep me interested," Loke sighed.

"Just tell Wendy what you told us," Erza suggested.

"Tell me what?" Wendy asked, approaching the table.

"Oh, hi, Wendy," Lucy greeted, smiling. "I didn't think you would be back until later."

"Natsu and Gajeel are still looking around. They didn't have any record of sky dragons in the ruins, but there's a chance that something about Metalicanna or Igneel might turn up," she shrugged, the job having been a relatively easy request.

They all sank into conversation about the research job, forgetting for the moment about Aries' pending visit.

**oOoOo**

"Oh, my, this is very bad," Mira said to herself. The letter she was looking at could possibly ruin things for quite a few people. "Oh, this is really bad."

"What's the matter, Dear?" Makarov asked, concerned about the barmaid's statement.

"Headmaster, I think we have a very big problem."

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

Notes:

1 – Because Ferris Wheels are freaking scary. You don't get strapped in, and the car can rotate freely around the axle (not that you could swing it so it does in a dangerous manner, I'm just saying), and that's a long, long way to fall. Coasters just don't pose that kind of threat. Well, not anymore. 8-)

2 – As established earlier in the fic, Loke is human. Aries will be joining this classification. I doubt you'll see much by way of action scenes, though. Not from me. I kinda suck at them. Action as in battle, not smut. I like smut.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N:**__ I don't have an actual birthday 'day' for any of these characters. I guess Mashima never has decided, or given them out. And I don't actually even have a birth year for Natsu, but for purposes of this fic, here are their ages:  
Natsu – 18  
Lucy – 17  
Erza – 19  
Gray – 18  
Wendy – 12  
Loke – 17_

_As far as characters go, their ages would be set after the seven-year skip. Obviously this is AU, so it doesn't even remotely follow the canon storyline, and there's not been an actual skip in time. I am thinking maybe there'll be an appearance by Jellal next chapter, and I haven't forgotten Aries. I told you all this would be fairy tale romance-esque, and I really don't like too much relationship drama, so expect things to unfold nicely. If I can't have a perfect, drama-free relationship, at least the characters I love should be able to. 8-)_

_Please read and review!_

_-Rachel Noelle_

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

"But, I don't want to leave!" Wendy wailed, sobbing into Mira's shoulder. "They can't make me do this!"

"There, there," Mira comforted the young blue haired girl. "We're going to work something out so that you can stay right here." She hugged her tightly, lightly rubbing her back. "Headmaster," Mira said, standing for a moment, "I think Erza and Gray should be here, as well as Loke."

"I've already sent Evergreen and Elfman after them," Makarov replied, his voice ringing with sadness for his young charge.

Mira returned to her seat at the table, Wendy gratefully hugging the Take Over mage as if her life depended on it.

"Wendy, dear," Makarov began, also trying to help soothe the situation, "We have a plan. One I think will work. Do you trust me?"

Wendy nodded. Only that morning she had been blissfully exploring some ruins outside of town, looking for clues as to where the dragons might have disappeared to. And now… Now _this_ was happening. Without any kind of forewarning, and completely without her permission.

"Headmaster," Erza said worriedly, as she, Loke and Gray burst through the lounge doors and rushed toward the small group. Mercifully and miraculously the student lounge was empty, save them. "What is going on?"

Makarov composed himself, preparing for a potential barrage of screaming. "We received a letter today from Cait Shelter. As you all know it is the home Wendy spent the last few years in. They were working with an adoption agency in hopes of finding Wendy a new family. And, much to all our delight, they have succeeded in finding what they believe is a match," Makarov paused for a moment, not sure how his students would receive the next bit, "However, to our dismay, This means Wendy will be leaving Fairy Tail Academy. Permanently."

There was a collective gasp of air and a moment of stunned silence before Loke asked softly, "Is that what you want to do, Wendy?"

Wendy shook her head, and, voice hoarse from crying, whispered, "No! Not at all! I want to stay here." Loke moved to sit beside her, hugging her comfortingly.

"Then how do we stop this? They can't make her do that, can they? That can't be legal!" Gray shouted.

"Well… there is a possible alternative, but I'm afraid only a few people qualify, and we have a very short time span of just forty-five days to work with, so, it is not necessarily for the best," Makarov intoned, his words cautious and his voice saddened.

"Whatever it is, we'll do it," Erza finally spoke up.

"Someone from Fairy Tail will have to offer to become her family," Mirajane explained. Erza got the feeling her former rival was leaving out some important details.

"Okay. What about Headmaster?" Gray asked, Makarov seeming the obvious choice.

"I'm afraid, child, that I am too old," Makarov hung his head in sadness.

"Actually," Mira began, facing Erza. Erza felt she would get the whole story now, "It looks like, of our preferences, only you and Gray qualify. Loke is too young, and that would be really weird for them anyway, and so are Natsu and Lucy, since she's only seventeen. Both guardians have to be at least eighteen."

"Okay, we'll do it, right Gray?" Erza asked, to which Gray emphatically agreed. He took her hand in his, linking their fingers together.

"So what's the real problem here?" Gray asked, "Is this process going to take longer than we have available?"

Mira hesitantly smiled. "Well, you see," she said nervously, "because of the particular agency, and a bunch of silly rules regarding the adoption process, you have to be married."

Erza felt her stomach drop from her abdomen, certain she would pass out. Married? She had to get married to be able to become Wendy's legal guardian? Married? To Gray? It was a wonderful fantasy, but it was much too soon!

If Erza could have spoken, Gray would have said he felt the same. He loved Erza very much, and wanted to spend every available moment with her. But getting married when they'd only just begun dating a few weeks ago was quite a leap of faith, and absolutely terrifying.

He and Erza gazed at Wendy, whose eyes had opened widely in shock. Sensing a protest from the young girl, the newly minted couple shared a look, exchanging a myriad of emotions in a single gaze – fear, confusion, determination, and a spark of excitement to name a few – they nodded together, both saying, "We'll do it. Whatever it takes."

Holding back her excitement, Mira first told them, "We all understand if you don't want to do this. It's not fair of us, or anyone, to ask you to do something like this. And we will find another alternative. At the moment, however, we cannot have any documents forged. We've already looked into that option. Until we can get a Fairy on the council, we have to do things the old fashioned way."

Makarov also shared her concern, "Honestly, my children, I wish there were another option. I would gladly take on the responsibility myself. I've even asked Alzack and Bisca, and a few other of the guild members with spouses. Understandably, they are not willing to do so on such short notice."

"We are happy to do this, Headmaster," Erza said, smiling bravely.

Wendy stood up, such a flurry of emotions flowing through her that she could barely speak. "No. I won't let you do this. This isn't fair to you. I'll go live with this other family. I'm sure they're nice. I'll go to school somewhere there. And I'll still try to visit everyone here." There was defiance in her voice. She did not want to force anyone into such a situation. Loke grabbed her hand, tugging her onto his lap, where she sat, exhausted and sobbing, not looking up.

Erza knelt down in front of Wendy. She wondered at how it was only moments like this one truly saw how vulnerable a person really was. And in those moments, you gained great strength to stand up for your friends. "Do you remember a few weeks ago, when we were laughing and making fun of Gray, and how he was acting like your father?" she asked softly. She saw Gray shoot them a playful glare. Wendy nodded. "I told you I'd be your mother, coming to your rescue. And we talked about how it would be nice to really be a family?" Wendy nodded again, a small smile trying to creep into place on her lips, "Now is that chance. I don't really think I'm ready to be your mother, but I'd definitely like to be your big sister."

"Yeah, but, you have to get married!" Wendy said forcefully. "I can't ask you to do that!"

"You didn't ask us. We just offered," Gray put in. "And if you're worried, you can pay us back by staying here at Fairy Tail and being happy. Just be the best damned Dragon Slayer you know how to be. And we'll make sure you get to be included in all of your decisions from now on."

Wendy began crying again, now elated. "I love you both so much!" she said as she flung herself at them, hugging them both tightly.

Loke stood and hugged them, too. He let a few tears streak down his face as he hugged Gray, telling his friend, "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me. Even if it is all about Wendy."

"Meh, we'll survive," Gray said as the two boys separated. They laughed awkwardly for a moment before Mira's squeal of excitement rang out.

"We're going to have a wedding!" Mira shouted, hugging Erza. "Oh, how exciting. So, I'm thinking maybe a week from Saturday?"

"Sure, why not? We only have a few weeks to work with. Might as well get preparations made," Erza shrugged.

"Erza, Gray," Makarov spoke. He, too, gave them both hugs and thanks before continuing, "There will be some intensive training, as required by the state. We will be providing you all with new housing on the property, with plenty of space to grow. There will be intense interviews, a lot of stress, and a lot of talk. You will be excused from your classes for this time, and given a stipend, as you will likely be unable to take on jobs until everything is settled."

The couple nodded in understanding. "This is gonna be one hell of a mission, isn't it?" Gray asked no one in particular.

**oOoOo**

Erza and Gray walked to class together the next morning, accompanied by Wendy and Loke, everyone grateful it was Friday. They had agreed to wait until later to announce the good, albeit terrifying, news to everyone. Wendy was trying to contain her excitement, but failing miserably, and had to make up several excuses throughout the day.

After lunch Gray skipped his classes and headed into town. He needed to find a ring, and quickly. Although he was not going to complain about the decision, he wanted to feel like he and Erza retained some control in the matter, since the decision had kind of made itself. They would do anything for their friends, especially those less capable, and this was no exception. _Besides,_ he thought to himself, _if it doesn't work out, she'll just kill me later on._

Gray had told Loke he would be missing class, and when Loke asked if Gray needed help, he replied that it was something he wanted to do alone. If he and Erza were getting married, he felt like he should do it up right.

He prowled through several shops, looking for just the right ring. He finally spotted one he thought Erza would love. It was a gold band, with a small ruby and sapphire set on either side of an amethyst. "Well, red and blue do make purple," he said to himself before calling over the shopkeeper and working out a price. He slipped the little blue velvet box in his pocket and headed back to his room, thinking he would shower and try to relax before the big reveal.

**oOoOo**

Erza sat in her room, contemplating what she should wear for the evening. Loke told her that Gray had been feeling unwell and left his afternoon class early. She sincerely hoped he was alright. Though she knew he must be feeling all kinds of stress, both good and bad. She was feeling a bit unwell, too.

There was a soft knock at the door before Wendy pushed it open and stuck her head in. "Erza?" she called timidly.

"Yes, Wendy?" Erza replied, "You can come in. I'm just trying to decide what to wear."

"Oh, Erza!" Wendy cried, hugging her scarlet haired friend dearly again, "Please don't do this. Not for me."

Erza laughed lightly. "But, Wendy, can't you see?"

"See what?" Wendy asked, releasing her.

"See how much everyone cares about you. Gray and I will be okay. We talked last night, and agreed to continue to take things slowly. All we need is to be able to legally be married, so that you can stay with us. It's basically just a bunch of paperwork and formalities. And you mean enough to every one of us to deal with a bunch of paperwork and formalities."

"I see," replied Wendy. "I just wish there was another way."

"If we had been given any indication that this might happen, we could have arranged to have a plan already in place. But no one informed any of us, least of all you, and so we have to go with Plan B," Erza explained.

"But I can never repay you. Not really," Wendy sighed.

"Sure you can. You can start by helping me and Mira plan a wedding!" Erza said happily, sending Wendy into tears again. "Now, come on, we need to get dressed. I think we have an important announcement to make."

Erza settled on a white halter top dress, with a light yellow sash and bow at the waist. Wendy donned a similarly styled dress, also white, but with bright red bows at the neck, waist, and sleeves. They spent some time primping, Wendy full of excitement and happiness, and Erza equally as excited and happy, although scared out of her wits. (1)

But they were family, and she would face whatever trials and tribulations lay before them head on.

They made their way to the lounge not long before the scheduled meeting time to find the lounge full of students and guild members, each handpicked by Erza, Mira, or Gray. All were very excited to hear what surprise announcement was in store for them. There was much speculation, and Erza heard suggestions of everything from marriage to babies and dragons to new competitions. (2)

"I can't," Cana was telling Macao, "Mira asked me not to read any cards tonight. She said it was a surprise, and that whoever is announcing this doesn't want any rumors flying around." She turned in her seat to find Mira, asking for another drink.

Mira laughed and brought her one shortly. Erza resolved to thank Mira later for her help. She and Wendy sat at a table near the center of the room, waiting for Gray and Loke to arrive. Natsu and Lucy found the two girls and quickly came to sit with them, Happy and Carla flying along behind them.

"Please, Carla?" Happy pleaded, offering the white Exceed a fish. "I won't tell anyone!"

"Now, really, Happy," Carla chastised. Wendy had shared the news with Carla before bed the night before, knowing her trusted confidante would support her and keep the news secret until everyone was ready to tell. "I told you, I don't know anything!"

"But you can use your powers!" Happy pleaded again, eager to know.

"Absolutely not!" Carla replied, annoyed. She 'harumphed' and flew a few feet to sit in Wendy's lap.

"Uh-oh, buddy, now you've upset her. You better think of a good apology," Natsu teased his furry friend.

"What am I going to do?" Happy wailed.

"Just do what I do when Luce gets upset," Natsu suggested.

"Ew! Natsu! I don't wanna do that!" Happy cried loudly, causing a lot of heads to turn their way.

"So Natsu is getting some tail," Gajeel laughed, he and Levy showing up to sit with the group.

Lucy flushed. "He meant apologize and kiss her. At least he better have," Lucy growled, making Natsu laugh nervously and agree.

"Aye, sir!" Happy intoned, flying to sit with Carla. "Carla, I'm sorry!"

"Loke!" Wendy called, jumping up and knocking Carla out of her lap. "Oh! I'm so sorry, Carla," she said, stopping to help the white Exceed up. Carla just smiled. The girl had a right to be excited, especially now, in the face of such turmoil.

"Sorry we're a little behind. It took forever to convince Gray his clothes look fine," Loke explained, taking Wendy's hand and sitting beside her at the table.

Gray walked up to Erza, extending a hand. She took it and stood, admiring him in his clothes. He wore a red button-down shirt and black pants. "You look even sexier when you manage to keep your clothes on," Erza flirted.

"Well, if that's the case, maybe I'll make more of an effort to break my stupid stripping habit," Gray returned, giving Erza a soft kiss. "You look amazing, by the way," he told her, enjoying the light blush on her cheeks. He felt in his pocket for the small jewelry box and breathed a sigh of relief to find it there.

"Are you two lovebirds ready?" Mira asked, startling them.

"As ready as we can be, I think," Erza answered.

"How about I start?" Gray said as he and Erza stood with Mirajane. Erza nodded and followed him, holding tightly to his hand.

"Thanks for coming, everyone. We have an important announcement to make," Mira smiled at the gathered friends. "But first, Gray has something to say."

"Er, um," Gray sputtered, frozen momentarily. "You see, we have an announcement, but I have something to ask first." He swallowed nervously. He'd dreamed of doing this one day, but never imagined how nervous and excited he would feel. He turned Erza so that they were looking face to face. He fumbled for the small box in his pocket as he dropped to one knee.

Erza felt her eyes well with tears. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"Erza, I know we've already agreed to do this, and I can't explain how excited I am about spending the rest of our lives together, but I wanted to give you a memory to cherish," Gray took Erza's left hand in his, opening the velvet box with the other. He smiled, presenting her with the ring, "Erza Scarlet, I love you so much. And I want to love you forever. Will you marry me?"

"Oh, Gray! Yes!" Erza cried, tears now streaking down her face with abandon. She hugged Gray tightly as he stood, taking her in his arms and spinning around, lifting her from the ground. She kissed him passionately, taking no head of their audience.

"God dammit!" Cana yelled, "You were supposed to wait until Valentine's Day!"

There was much laughter and cheering from the others, multiple shouts of congratulations, and a few groans.

"Go Erza!" Lucy, Levy, and Wendy all shouted, congratulating the newly betrothed redhead.

Mira stepped back in to elaborate on the details, explaining about how Erza and Gray were going to be assuming legal guardianship of Wendy. "We want to ask everyone for their support during this time, as it will be both trying and exciting for all of us. Also, I've asked a few of you to stay afterward. Due to the time constraints placed on us by the state, the wedding will be taking place next Saturday, and we need help planning! But, without further ado, welcome to the engagement party!" Mira blew on a noisemaker, triggering a spell which instantly covered the lounge in decorations and confetti.

Gray carried Erza over to and sat her on top of the table occupied by their closest friends. They shared another deep kiss before breaking apart to someone loudly clearing their throat. Gray rolled his eyes and fit the ring onto Erza's left ring finger, secretly thrilled he wouldn't need it resized. "See," he told Erza, pointing to the small stones, "The Sapphire is me, the Ruby is you, and the Amethyst is us, together."

The other girls nearby cooed over how sensitive Gray was, and how well he'd chosen the ring. "That's just so romantic!" Lucy declared, her eyes taking on a star-struck gaze.

"Oh, great, now we'll never amount to anything," Gajeel and Natsu commiserated together.

"Congratulations, Gray. Thanks for making us Dragon Slayers look terrible with standards we can't live up to," Natsu congratulated Gray with a friendly hug and large grin.

Gray just laughed happily. "Congratulations, Brother," Lyon told him, also hugging them both. "I'm very happy for you. You are a good fit for one another."

Once the crowd had sated its appetite for answers, congratulatory hugs and kisses, and general gossip, only those specified by Erza and Gray to help directly with the wedding plans remained behind.

"So," Cana asked, taking a seat at the same table as the others, "What's the plan? And, Mira, I need more booze!"

"Well," Mira began brightly, quickly launching into an explanation of things to come. Asuka would be taking on the role of flower girl, with Lucy, Mirajane, and Wendy bridesmaids, and Loke, Natsu, and Lyon being groomsmen. Levy and Gajeel had important parts to play, as Mira needed someone to assist with decorating and building props. And Headmaster Makarov had gladly offered to officiate. "And if Carla and Happy agree, we'd like them to assist Asuka, as a flower girl and ring bearer, of course." (3)

While Mira was in the midst of discussion with Lucy, Levy, and Wendy about what sort of decorations to make, Erza slipped outside for some fresh air.

Gray noticed she was missing only a few moments later and went after her, finding her sitting beneath a tree in front of the building. He said nothing as he sat beside her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her onto his lap. Erza snuggled against him, silent.

"Be honest," Gray said a few minutes later, "Are you alright?"

"Not really," Erza replied, sighing sadly.

"Wanna talk about it?" Gray asked, concerned.

"I imagine we're feeling about the same, aren't we?" Erza said. "Terrified. Excited. A little pissed because I thought we'd get to make the decision on our own time, rather than being forced into it."

"Erza, we don't have to do this. We can find another way," Gray reiterated.

"No," Erza shook her head, "It's the simplest way, and for once in my life I want things to be easy, even if only for a while. I'll do it for Wendy, and all of our friends. And it's not that I don't want to. I just kind of feel forced."

Gray smiled and kissed her forehead. "We can always divorce later if things just don't work out," he shrugged.

Erza thumped him hard on the chest. "That's not even funny. We aren't even married yet and you're already thinking about divorcing me."

Gray laughed heartily. "That's not the way I intended you to take that."

They cuddled together, enjoying the peace and quiet of the outdoors at night. There was a low buzz of noise still coming from the lounge, undoubtedly filled with discussions and plans for a gorgeous wedding in the making. They had nearly drifted off, the night warm and soothing, when Loke approached.

"Mira would like the bride and groom to come back inside. Apparently she wants to run some things by you," Loke told them, offering a hand to help Erza up.

"Ugh, I just want to go home," Erza whined. She was truly grateful for the help Mira was giving, but she honestly would be perfectly satisfied with it being just herself and Gray, and the officiant.

"Let's go settle some debates, then we can go get some sleep," Gray suggested.

As suspected, the issues were, at the moment, trivial and entirely pointless as far as Erza could see. She knew she'd want to be in control of things later, when she'd had some proper rest, so she suffered through trying to be as enthusiastic as the others. She and Gray chose colors, approved and rejected decoration ideas, denied Gajeel the chance to sing, and finished off the night laughing with the others about anything remotely funny.

The group finally dispersed, everyone heading home, Loke offering to see Wendy to her rooms. Erza thanked Mira with a tight hug.

"It's the least I can do," Mira smiled. "I know this is a very tough choice to have to make. We all want to help as much as possible. Please, you can ask me for help with anything."

"Thanks, Mira," Gray agreed, also giving the barmaid a hug. "I think we're ready to go now, so we'll see you tomorrow."

Mira waved them off, sighing wistfully. Even in her wildest dreams, she would never have come up with such a horrible scheme to push two people into something they were unprepared for. After this business was said and done, she and Makarov would begin campaigning to change such silly rules.

"Why don't you stay with me tonight?" Gray suggested as he and Erza stood outside the entrance to the girls' dorms. She was reluctant to go in, and equally reluctant to go with Gray. "Then you can stay by yourself until we have to move. I promise I won't try anything. Not if you don't want to. I can wait a few more days, or even weeks or months if you want."

Erza considered, then finally agreed. "Okay. I think I will stay tonight."

They made their way to Gray's room where they spent a minimal amount of time changing and brushing teeth before climbing into the bed. They cuddled up together, Erza's back to Gray and his arm around her waist securely, drifting off to sleep in record time.

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

Notes:

1 – As seen in the anime, toward the end of the Tower of Heaven arc, when Erza "dies". Wendy's would be from the Grand Magic Games arc, I believe. (As is Gray's outfit.)

2 – These would be: Cana, Loke, Mira, Natsu, Lucy, Levy, Gajeel, Makarov, Happy, Carla, Gildarts, Macao, Laxus, Freid, Evergreen, Elfman, Juvia, Lyon, Lissana, and of course Wendy, Erza, and Gray.

3 – I honestly feel like Mira is probably Erza's closest female friend, even if they were rivals at one point. And although I love Levy, she seems more attached to Lucy than Erza. I kind of feel like Erza would want a small wedding, given the circumstances, and, of course, Wendy has to be a part of it. They're family, after all.


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N:**__ This chapter is definitely rated T. Expect an M-rated chapter in the next few. This one could potentially border on M, though I think it should be more educational than erotic. And, you never know, you might hear some good advice. ;) _

_Lots of fluff, lots of gossip, lots of teenagers being teenagers. _

_Oh, and the only "White Wedding" you'll see me use is the lyrics to the song. Sorry. I don't dig them. I think I've used a white wedding dress in my fics once. I just prefer color, and don't care for silly so-called "traditions" that only date back a few decades. Just saying. I'll get off my soap box now._

_Please read and review!  
-Rachel Noelle_

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

Gray lay in his bed considering the upcoming week with Erza still snuggled against him as she slept. She was right, he thought, they were both terrified. It was a big leap of faith to do something so… extreme and just hope and pray it turned out for the best. He loved Erza, very much, but the thought that he would be legally bound to her in only a week's time drained the color from his face and left him feeling nauseous.

However, like Erza, he had felt an instant bond with Wendy, and being _nakama_, she deserved to be protected where she could not protect herself. The situation was not caused by Wendy, but rather the State (which he was resenting more and more each moment), and unfortunately Wendy had fallen into the middle of it. The poor girl had unwittingly been forced into a situation none of them could want, and without proper legal representation, who knew what kind of chaos she would be hurtled into.

The upcoming wedding was really just a bunch of formality, as Makarov had explained in detail when Wendy was out of earshot, and the marriage could legally be terminated after two years. Some law somewhere included a loophole that allowed a marriage to be temporary, under the right circumstances. They just had to include the clause in their license. Gray had been thrilled when Erza declined, and though it scared the living daylights out of him, he agreed with her decision. Makarov told them to consider it, and let him know by Friday if they changed their minds. (1)

"This was supposed to happen after we'd been together for a couple of years," Gray sighed to himself. Erza was beginning to rouse, and he let a smile slip into place as he enjoyed the thought of her always waking next to him.

"You know, I recall my parents telling me they had only known each other for a few months before they got married," Erza said as she turned to face him and smiled.

Gray blushed lightly. He definitely had not meant for her to hear that. "I didn't… I mean…" Gray stuttered out, trying to come up with a way to say what he'd meant without it sounding like he didn't want to marry her.

Erza's eyes shone with mirth. "I understand, Gray. Really," she assured him. Gray nodded slightly. Erza's mirth fell from her eyes as she added, "We can always have Headmaster put the clause into the agreement, if you're really concerned."

Gray shook his head. "No. I don't want to do that. I will if you really want it, but, Erza," he said, leaning his head close to hers and speaking in a low baritone, making her shiver with the gesture, "I've loved you since we were kids. I was just too bullheaded and stupidly embarrassed to admit it until recently. And I'm not going to back out of this just because I didn't get to choose when it happens."

Erza felt a few small tears falling from her eyes. "I'm scared, Gray. What if we do all this and things don't work out? What if they take Wendy away, anyway? Then what are we going to do?" she asked quietly.

"Whatever we can to get her back. And then we'll come back here and make-out," he grinned, now hovering above her and supporting himself with his forearms on the bed. She hugged him tightly.

"You're horrible," she teased. He ignored her words and found the sensitive spot behind her ear with his lips, granting him an excited hum. He sucked on her flesh, biting her just hard enough to leave a love mark, then soothed the sore spot with his tongue. She would retaliate, and he knew it, but he was going to spend every moment he could enjoying the taste of her first.

A good half hour or better later they lay cuddled together again, Gray's chest peppered with light love bites. She had mercifully ignored his obvious arousal, and now that his nerves were settling, he could lie beside her in peace. She sighed peacefully as she checked the time via the clock on the dresser. She yawned and stretched as she stood up.

"I'm going to go shower and clean up before we have to meet everyone at ten o'clock," she intoned, smiling back at Gray still lying on the bed. He stood and walked around the bed to hug her tightly and give her a kiss before he bade her goodbye, promising not to be late to the meeting. Erza quickly made her way back to her rooms, blissfully unaware of a few knowing smirks as she walked out of the boys' dormitory.

Erza met Loke and Wendy in the hall outside her rooms, Loke giving her a smirk. She chatted with them briefly, while fighting the desire to blush, before disappearing into her bathroom, eager to clean up and refresh herself.

The hot shower helped her relax and soothe her muscles. She decided to push her fears and anxiety aside and focus on the excitement that was steadily growing inside her. In only a few short days she would be married. Married to a man she had loved for as long as she could recall. She wondered what married life would be like with Gray. Would it be like they were now, only better? Would he still treat her like a queen? Would he always be so damned attractive?

The thought of Gray's physique left Erza longing for more than just passionate kisses, but the thought of sex made her even more nervous than the idea of getting married. What if he thought she was terrible? What if he was terrible? Did either of them _really_ know what to do? What if he was a complete animal and she, well, wasn't? She knew he had been out with a few other girls, but she honestly didn't know if he had ever slept with any of them. She frowned to herself. She really hoped not. That was something she should probably find out.

She shoved the question to the back of her mind, deciding to ask it later. She dried and put on another cute dress for the day, pulling her still damp hair into a loose braid on one side. She checked her reflection in the mirror, trying to remember to smile, but was having a difficult time of accepting the thought that her betrothed could quite possibly not be a virgin. Her lips seemed to want to remain in a small frown.

Just before she stepped out of her rooms, Loke knocked on the door, asking if he could come inside. Erza let him in, asking what he needed.

"Wendy told me that her birthday is Tuesday! Did you know her birthday was coming up?" Loke asked, clearly frazzled and distressed. "I can't believe I hadn't already asked her."

Erza shook her head in surprise. "I had no idea. She didn't mention it before. Clearly someone _should_ have asked, huh?" she said, also feeling dumfounded and unhelpful. "I guess we'll just have to plan a surprise party for her."

Loke looked relieved. "That's an excellent idea. October 22. She's a Libra. It's like a match made in the stars!" he said dreamily. (2)

Erza laughed at Loke as his expression changed from worried to star-struck. His voice took on a higher timbre, and he sounded as much as acted like a girl at a concert for her favorite rock band. "A Libra…" he sighed.

Erza rolled her eyes playfully. "We better talk to Mira. When is Aries coming?"

Loke's joyful expression fell instantly. "I gotta go, I need to talk to Wendy!" he said quickly as he ran out the door, looking for the blue haired girl and calling "Tuesday!" over his shoulder.

**oOoOo**

"Uh, Wendy, can I talk to you for a minute?" Loke asked, nervously standing with Wendy outside the student lounge. She cast him a curious look, but nodded. "Um, I just thought you should know that one of my exes is going to be in town this week, and she wants to meet up."

Wendy's initial response was that she did not like this one bit. A further thought told her that would be jealousy, and jealousy wasn't necessary, at least not with Gray and Erza around. She quickly decided she didn't care, so long as Loke wasn't doing private… _things_ with another girl. The thought of that made her blush furiously, which it looked as though Loke was going to mistake for anger.

"I'm sorry, Wendy, I just found out a couple of days ago. I was going to tell you then, but you started talking to Lucy about your job in the ruins, and well, I got distracted…" he trailed off. Loke was feeling quite out of sorts, and momentarily not sure about himself or his relationship with Wendy. Both issues were definitely entirely new experiences for him.

Wendy giggled softly. "I'm sorry, Loke," she said bashfully, shaking her head lightly, "I was thinking of something else, and, um… It's okay. I understand. I'm glad you told me before she showed up. Who is she?"

Loke's relief was evident on his face. "Her name is Aries. We grew up together. She's also a Celestial Spirit."

Wendy nodded. She could ask for more details later. "Is she the 'last one' you mentioned? The one things ended badly with?"

Loke shook his head. "No, that was Karen. And, can we please discuss that later? It's not a pleasant story to tell or hear. Aries is still a good friend."

Wendy grinned. "Can I meet her?"

Loke shrugged, smiling, "I don't see why not." (3)

**oOoOo**

The first stop for the wedding party and their eagerly helpful friends was a shop in the market district to be fitted for their wedding attire. The boys complained and groused as much as possible (obviously over-the-top and good-naturedly in most instances) about having to dress up, until Erza shot Gray a look that spelled certain death, a message he quickly shared with the other three. Loke was by far the best behaved, always eager to dress up and go out looking nice. Especially with a pretty girl on his arm.

There was a brief debate among the ladies on whether Gray should be able to help Erza choose a dress before Erza put her foot down (both figuratively and literally), and said that she wanted him to help, regardless of silly traditions and even stupider superstitions. Gray readily agreed and he and the other young men trotted after Erza into another parlor where she browsed through gowns. She tried on several, ranging in color from white (too bland) to red (clashed with her hair) to green (too bright) to blue (maybe), and anything in between.

Mira helped Erza into another gown, lacing up the corseting ties in the back, and complimenting her on the way the sweetheart neckline suited her figure. When Erza stepped out to show off her latest option, she knew from the look of amazement on Gray's face that it was the dress she absolutely had to have. The soft gold fabric hugged her tightly from the waist up, the skirt becoming fuller at the hips, and the silky material flowing softly. Gray admired the skirt, which was higher in the front, since it showed off her legs some, and gave an appreciative whistle.

"_Damn_…" was all he could say. It had been some time since he had actually seen her naked (since they had bathed together in their younger years, which he did not at the time consider remotely sexual), and he felt a particular feeling in his core that told him he already couldn't wait to get her out of that dress. She looked absolutely stunning. The soft gold color complimented her skin and hair perfectly. Gray felt like he was seeing Erza for the first time, and falling in love all over again.

The bridesmaids picked dresses in a range of blues that suited each of their body sizes, shapes, and physical characteristics. Mira's gown color was a deep midnight blue, Lucy's a royal blue tint, and Wendy's a soft blue in the same spectrum. Erza thought Mira's idea to have a sort of color gradient was a good one, as one color did not universally fit all of the girls' needs.

Loke and Wendy stood opposite one another in the parlor, each admiring the other in their respective outfits. The soft blue of the dress complimented Wendy's hair, and the dress fit her well, showing off her rapidly developing bust and the shape of her hips. Loke absently wondered how long he would have to wait until their relationship moved to a more intimate level.

A hand slapped him firmly in the back of the head. He rubbed the spot, turning to face the abuser, "Jeeze, what was that for?"

"I know that look, young man," Mira warned, her look stern but her eyes amused, "It's going to be a while. You might as well sit back and get ready to wait."

"I wasn't planning on anything perverted," he assured her, his tone hushed. "But she is my, uh… my… Well, I should be able to admire her," he fumbled out finally, ears pinkening.

"Just remember that next Saturday after the reception when you've had too much to drink," Mira cautioned. Loke nodded sagely. She laughed merrily as she returned to her own dressing room to change, pausing to look back at the lion and tell him, "And, Loke, we all know she's your girlfriend. Don't be so shy."

The remainder of the time out was spent picking up decorations, ordering a cake and other refreshments, purchasing last minute necessities, scheduling hair appointments, and finalizing plans for the reception (Mira had convinced Makarov to help pay for the party). Lyon congratulated Gray and Erza again, before slipping off to meet Juvia for a date. The girls oohed and aahed over everything, and the guys were incredibly glad to make it back to the lounge. (4)

When they returned to the lounge at long last, Mira made up some excuse to get Erza and Gray out of the room for a few minutes while she told everyone about the plans for the bachelor and bachelorette parties that evening. They all quickly set to work letting their other friends and members of the guild know. Mira left Loke and Wendy with the task of getting Erza and Gray to their respective locations on time that evening. She gave strict orders to the young men regarding what sort of celebration they could have (no strippers – except for Gray, of course – and easy on the booze, among other commands). The small group quickly disbanded before Gray and Erza returned, leaving Mira to make up an excuse.

Mira watched Erza leave the lounge, Gray's arm around her waist eagerly. She smiled. Erza seemed thrilled, but definitely looked like she could use a girls' night.

**oOoOo**

Mirajane, Lucy, Levy, Erza, Cana, Wendy, Lisanna, and Juvia were gathered in Mirajane's dormitory room, painting nails, doing hair, singing out of tune with music, pillow fighting, chatting about classes and the upcoming wedding, and generally gossiping. Cana, always one for the latest gossip and intimate secrets, suggested the ever fateful game of "Never Have I Ever…"

As these things normally do, the game started innocently enough with questions revealing Erza had cheated on a test at least once, Mirajane had accidentally stolen goods from the kitchen, Cana was terrified of butterflies, Juvia and Levy had slipped up and shared secrets, and Lisanna, Lucy, and Levy had kissed one of the three dragon slayers at some point in their lives. Also as these things normally do, the game quickly became X-rated. Poor Wendy began wearing a permanent blush when Cana stated that she had never kissed Loke.

"It was just once, I promise," Lucy hastily explained to Wendy. "He saved my butt in a fight, and I kissed him on the cheek. It was even before you started at the school." Wendy giggled in response.

"So," Cana began, fixing Wendy with an intensely curious stare, "Let's hear about this kiss!"

Wendy stuttered something unintelligible. "Um, well..." she managed after a moment, "he took me to get ice cream one night last week. We were walking back home when he stopped to look at me and said I still had ice cream on my mouth, and," Wendy's face matched Erza's hair as the other girls all leaned in closer to hear better. Wendy giggled nervously before hurriedly saying, "I thought he was going to hand me a napkin but he leaned down and kissed me instead."

There was a collective "Aw!" from the gathered females.

"Did you like it?" Mirajane asked, smiling brightly at the youngest in the group. Wendy nodded bashfully.

"Did he use his tongue?" Cana asked brazenly. The deepening blush on Wendy's face and ears confirmed that he had. Cana laughed loudly. "Did you at least kiss him back?" Wendy nodded.

"So, it's official then?" Lisanna asked, unable to help her curiosity.

"What is?" Wendy asked, slowly gaining control over her body's desire to do as it pleased.

"That you're dating," Lisanna replied. "I mean, we all just sort of assumed, but it's always better to hear it straight from the horse's mouth, you know."

"Oh," Wendy said quietly. "Well, I don't know. I mean, I think so, but I guess we've never actually said so."

Mirajane giggled. "I wouldn't worry about that. You can ask him if you want, but I know for sure he's got it bad for you."

"That's true," Levy chimed in, "He quit all of his playing around with other girls, and we almost never see him without you nearby."

"And he was particularly concerned about what you would think about Aries visiting," Lucy also put in.

Wendy's nerves calmed as quickly as they unsettled, and her blush finally began to recede.

"As long as I don't hear anything about him taking advantage of you, or trying to talk his way into your bed before you're good and ready," Erza said, cracking her knuckles and smiling wildly, "He's okay in my book."

Thankfully the game resolved itself thereafter, leaving Wendy able to concentrate on styling Lucy's hair. The game might have ended, but the conversations continued in the same vein.

"So, Erza," Cana asked, turning to the scarlet haired Requip mage, "How is Gray? Is he any good in bed?"

"Cana!" she chastised, face flaming, "I don't know. We haven't done _that_ yet!"

"Why not?" Cana countered, honestly surprised.

"We just aren't ready for that yet," Erza replied.

"You better get ready, then," the brunette told her, "You're getting married Saturday, and if you think he's not going to use that as an excuse to get the goods, you're wrong."

Erza hastily excused herself to the restroom, taking a seat beside Cana when she returned. She knew that not all of the girls in the room were virgins, which was fine with her as long as they had willfully made that decision. She was quite certain Cana was one of those girls, and possibly the most experienced of all of them. So when the others in the room were engaged in other conversation or activities, Erza found the courage to ask, "What if he's awful at sex?"

Cana laughed lightly. "Then I guess you teach him how to get better," she shrugged. "You're gonna have plenty of opportunities to practice after Saturday."

Lucy overheard and couldn't help encouraging her friend. "Natsu was terrible our first time. And he was way too quick, too. But the second time we slowed things down, and it actually was really amazing," she said, sitting with Cana and Erza, her ears red and cheeks pink. "What? I think it was just too much hormone buildup the first time. Neither of us could really control anything. It just sort of happened."

Levy returned to the circle, rolling her eyes as she spoke, "Gajeel was kind of that way, too. Even though he wasn't a virgin. He wasn't a complete animal, but it hurt really bad the first time." She winced. "Like someone stuck a hot poker inside me, or used a knife to cut me open."

Erza's pupils dilated. "It's going to hurt?" she asked, her voice low.

Cana shrugged. "It didn't bother me. Some girls it does, some girls it doesn't. Just make sure you're good and ready when he puts it in," she winked, laughing again at the expression of shock and horror on Erza's face.

"I wasn't bothered by it too much. It was kind of unpleasant at first, but, well," Lucy said, obviously not sure if she should be comfortable discussing such a topic or not, "after we started, um, moving, it kind of got… really wet, and it felt better."

"Like I said," Cana told them, "You have to be ready. Or no matter how many times you've done it, it's going to hurt."

Wendy remained blissfully, willingly unaware of the conversation, she and Lisanna now fixing one another's hair.

Sometime later, the night ended with the girls all crawling into the bed or their pallets on the floor, engaging in one last pillow fight to see them off to the Land of Nod.

**oOoOo**

"This is the worst bachelor party ever," Gajeel lamented. "There are only two strippers, and they're both ugly as hell."

"Hey!" Gray and Lyon said in unison, both unhappy with being called ugly.

"I don't have the freaky stripping habit," Lyon huffed.

"Yes you do," Gray told him pointedly, "You're just better at caring what other people think about you."

Lyon had to admit he might be right.

The bachelor party was in full swing in Gray and Loke's suite, though poker, booze, and loud music alone did not a good "bachelor" party make, according to Gajeel. Even Gray had to admit it wasn't all that exciting. It was a relaxing evening, not having to worry about embarrassing himself if he belched or farted, swearing all he pleased, and chugging booze like a frat boy. So, he mentally amended, it might be a little exciting.

"The old ice cream on your lips trick, huh? That is the lamest move ever," Elfman complained. He sat around a table with Lyon, Loke, Gajeel, Natsu, Gray, and Happy, playing poker. Gray rolled his eyes. Elfman was right. That was a lame move.

"Gah, at least if there had been girls here we could have played strip poker," Gajeel whined again, the others ignoring him.

"What? She liked it," Loke defended.

"Girls always go for the cheesy stuff. Makes them feel special," Gajeel said, dealing the next hand. "How are you gonna handle the hot ex being here next week?"

Loke sighed. "I have no idea. I told Wendy to expect her, and she seems okay with it. But I don't know. Sometimes I think she doesn't take me seriously."

"Why would you say that?" Lyon asked. "I don't know everyone well, but it seems like you're very committed to one another."

"We've never actually put a label on our relationship. We kind of talked about it once, but…" Loke shrugged. Gray glared at his friend. "I didn't mean I don't want to date her, I do. I just don't know if she feels the same, especially since I'm four years older than her." (5)

"You're just worried you can't wait a few years until you can sleep with her," Gajeel remarked, grinning. Loke looked horrified and embarrassed.

"Believe me," Natsu said, finally speaking up, "You don't want to run the risk of her getting pregnant yet."

The other guys sitting about the table looked at Natsu. "Wow, Natsu, that's the wisest thing you've ever said!" Happy chimed.

"Please, please, take his advice," Gray pleaded with Loke.

"Relax. I'll wait as long as it takes," he assured them. He might be a horny teenage boy, but he wasn't a completely stupid horny teenage boy. He had enough sense to wait for that move. Kissing, though, was definitely on his list of things to try again soon.

"You better clear the air before you decide to wait until she's twenty just to be told you were never dating her in the first place," Elfman warned.

"Yeah, I guess so," Loke confirmed. Desperate to take the heat off himself, he turned to Gray to ask, "So, Erza's slept over a few times…"

Gray's ears turned pink. "Yeah. So?"

"What, you don't want us to know you've been banging your girlfriend?" Gajeel teased ruthlessly.

"I haven't been banging her," Gray muttered under his breath.

"Well, why the hell not?" Gajeel prompted.

"Because," Gray replied, his face flaming to match his ears, "she said she wanted to take things slow. So I am."

"You can take it slow, alright," Loke teased, enjoying picking on someone who wasn't him. He winked conspiratorially at Gray, "While she's on her back moaning your name."

Gajeel patted Gray roughly on the back. "Remember, you go down first, she'll be good and ready for you, and she'll feel guilty if she doesn't return the favor. Now, ante up!"

Gray held his head in his hands. When the night finally ended, everyone else passing out on the floor, Gray crawled into his bed. He drifted off to sleep wondering what Erza would think if he asked to have sex on their wedding night. He promised they could take things slow, but he hadn't promised he wasn't going to ask.

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

Notes:

1 – I'm fairly certain this isn't an actual practice anywhere, but I recall hearing it mentioned, maybe as a suggestion for legal consideration, or maybe just someone's opinion on some blog somewhere. I don't know how I feel about it.

2 – By my guess, Wendy is a Libra. She acts like a Libra. Peace-loving, all about harmony and balance, somewhat indecisive (some Libras are worse about this than others, lol). Ultimately a good match for Leo (which Loke is basically the epitome of, both in name and demeanor), whose birthday would be in late July or early August (making him just over 4 years her senior). Also, I'll post a full list of dates on my profile page or in the next chapter's A/N if anyone needs references for the fic. It's the 2013-2014 "school year", starting in August. What? I've never started class later than the last week of August.

3 – Wendy doesn't strike me as the batshit crazy jealous type. I mean, we all get kind of jealous now and again, but even I can accept the fact that my boyfriend has an ex he still speaks with occasionally. "Occasionally" is to be interpreted by each individual couple, lol.

4 – I honestly think I might do Lyon with Mira. Would that be crazy? I can leave him with Juvia, since it's kinda sorta canon. Just asking for opinions. Maybe I'll use Mira and Freed. I like him, and I think he suits Mira well. He's cute.

5 – See note 2.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N:**__ If you wanted sweet romance, you came to the right place. Now this is finished, I'm rewarding myself with some Dragon Age II DLC. You could reward me with comments! I like hearing how awesome my writing is (especially when it's anything but!), but I really, really like suggestions for how to improve. I also enjoy general conversation. So, it's whatever, just as long as I get to hear from you!_

_Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to sit back and read this. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it, but, consider this my attempt at doing so. :) _

_-Rachel Noelle_

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

The morning sun peered through Loke's window. He shut his eyes tighter and pulled the blanket up over his head. He really wanted to sleep through the day and avoid the issues that were making his stomach flutter with nervous butterflies. Why did Aries have to decide to visit on the day that was Wendy's birthday?

Of course, had he known Wendy's birthday before just the last Saturday, he might have been able to coordinate with Aries to visit on another day.

He settled on a pair of tight jeans and a close-fitted black on white tee. Wendy had mentioned before that she liked the particular outfit, so he felt he should don something suitable for her birthday. He'd be wearing a much nicer outfit for the surprise party this evening, but Mira's instructions for him were to not let slip that there was a surprise party in the making. She had gone as far as to threaten him with punishment via her Satan Soul form if he failed. Maybe with Aries visiting, his nerves about the scheme could be brushed off as having his current girl meeting a close ex for the first time, rather than his anxiety at something about the surprise party going very wrong.

This _was_ Fairy Tail, and although he loved it dearly, things never seemed to go quite as planned.

He spent far longer than necessary getting ready; whether to present himself nicely for Wendy or Aries, or them both, even he didn't know. He rushed out of his dorm to class, running a hand through his messy hair along the way. He had a social call to make before school began.

Wendy stood at her locker, her back to the crowd slowly gathering in the halls. He silently slipped up behind her and grabbed her in a tight hug, placing a kiss on the back of her head. She instinctively yelped and turned quickly, her hand nearly colliding with his face. Loke dodged the appendage in the nick of time, laughing loudly.

"Loke!" she squealed. "I'm so sorry!" Her eyes grew large and her face shone with obvious embarrassment.

Loke continued laughing as he took her hand in their customary greeting. "Good morning, Princess," he grinned. He fished in his bag for a small gift box and presented it to his blue-haired companion. "Happy birthday!"

Wendy's eyes brightened happily as she took the box. She bit her lip in concentration as she carefully untied the bow, curious to know what lay inside. She inhaled a soft gasp as she opened it to reveal a charm bracelet, replete with charms. "See," Loke said, pointing at a charm of the Drama Masks, "this is for the first 'date', when we all went to dinner and a play together." He pointed out a couple more charms, detailing their significance. Finally he pointed to a rose charm, saying, "And this one is for when you officially agreed to be my girlfriend, which I am sincerely hoping is now. I know we kind of talked about it, but I wanted to make it official." He was amazed at himself for being able to speak without his voice cracking, though he couldn't stop the nervous blush from appearing on his cheeks and ears.

Wendy blushed to match, nodding fervently. "Thank you for the bracelet. I love it!" She hugged Loke again tightly and in an act of bravery she did not know she possessed, kissed him soundly in a chaste kiss on the lips. She pulled away quickly, her eyes looking anywhere but at the lion. "Sorry," she muttered softly, her tone excited but her eyes still downcast.

Loke chuckled. "You don't have to apologize to me. Some of the people standing around might want an apology, but not me." He forced past the momentary awkwardness and took her hand in his. Their fingers intertwined together, they made their way to Wendy's first class, where Loke was forced to leave her before heading to his own, but not before he placed a soft kiss on her cheek.

Wendy barely kept herself aware of what was going on in class that morning, her butterflies fluttering wildly in excitement.

**oOoOo**

Gray stood outside Erza's class, waiting for her to appear. His class had let out a few minutes early, but Gildarts was inclined to make his students stay for every second of instruction. Gray sighed heavily, losing himself in thought.

Since the "bachelor" party, a certain redhead had been on his mind. Or rather, the touch and feel of her body had been on his mind. Erza had stayed true to her word and not stayed with him at night since Friday. She was possibly staying away because she knew it was a struggle for Gray to keep his hands restricted to appropriate places on Erza's body. The more he kissed her, the more he found it hard to resist the next step of intimacy. He made a promise, though, and he intended to keep it. He just didn't know how long he could hold out. Technically he knew he could wait this side of forever if he had to, but he certainly did not desire to do so.

Although they would be married this coming Saturday, he tried his hardest to keep from concocting ways to persuade her to let him have his way. He didn't want to use the excuse of them being married as leverage, since that would result in a guilt trip for her, and possible severe bodily harm for him when she cottoned on. So if she chose to not consummate their relationship on their wedding night, then he would take care of things in private and deal with it. Their relationship did mean more to him than sex.

Realizing he was beginning to get excited in inappropriate ways for being in public, he decided to think on other things, such as wondering how Loke would fare juggling Aries visit and Wendy's birthday all on the same day, or the essays he had due in a few of his classes. A bell rang and he stepped another pace to the side to let the students file out of Erza's class.

He was still lost in thought when Erza greeted him with a sweet kiss.

**oOoOo**

Wendy sat nervously waiting with Loke for Aries to arrive. They planned to meet up in a small café downtown, and the hostess was quickly losing patience waiting to seat them.

"Why don't we go ahead and get a table? She can find us when she gets here," Wendy suggested. Loke glanced at the hostess again, who was glaring at them from the corner of her eye, then nodded.

"That sounds like a wise idea," he told Wendy. "Okay, miss, I think we're ready. We're expecting one more, but she can catch up in a bit," he spoke with the hostess, who finally looked like she didn't want them both dead for simply neglecting to be seated the moment they walked in. She led them to a round table in a corner, dispensed the menus, and turned quickly to leave them.

"Yeesh. I'm glad that's over," Loke mused grumpily. Wendy giggled when his face contorted into a grimace to match the hostess's.

Loke flipped through his menu, quickly deciding on a simple sandwich and fries. Wendy was obviously having a difficult time making up her mind, so Loke leaned over, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and grasping her hand with his other. Suddenly he found it quite grueling to recall that he was expecting a visitor. Or to focus on anything but the feel of Wendy's soft hand in his.

Aries looked out across the café, spotting the unmistakable orange hair of her friend Leo instantly. He was intimately leaning onto a young blue haired girl, who looked as delighted as he, and they discussed something at length. Aries smiled softly to herself. It was good to see Loke in such high spirits, and to see him involved with someone new. She recalled his last relationship, with a woman she despised from the start, which had ultimately ended the relationship she had with him. Karen was a beast, and that was being polite.

Aries slowly made her way to the table, not wishing to ruin the moment the couple were obviously sharing. She stood silently nearby for only a brief moment before Loke spotted her. He stood and happily greeted her with a warm hug.

"Aries, how are you?" he asked her.

"I'm doing well. I'm very sorry to disturb you," she replied. Loke chuckled.

"You didn't disturb anything." He turned and motioned to Wendy. "Wendy, this is Aries. Aries, this is my girlfriend, Wendy." Aries giggled as Loke and Wendy blushed.

"It's wonderful to meet you. Loke has told me much about you, Miss Wendy," Aries said, politely extending a hand.

Wendy smiled back, greeting her in kind. "What do you think you'd like? I'm having a horrible time trying to decide," Wendy confessed.

She and Aries easily slipped into conversation, and the meal proceeded pleasantly, with only a few dirty looks from the hostess as they left.

"So, what have you been up to? How is it working out with Angel?" Loke asked Aries as they strolled through the streets of town.

"She was horrible. She was finally arrested, and I ended the contract," Aries explained. "But you said you've contracted with someone else? Someone who might be decent?"

Loke nodded. "Yes, with Lucy Valentine. She's a formidable mage, and she treats me and her other Celestial Spirits like family."

"You should meet her!" Wendy suggested, quite taken with Aries and easily comfortable in her presence. Loke gave her a questioning look, wondering if that could possibly be a good idea. Meeting for lunch when they'd not seen one another in almost a year was one thing. Having to work with her constantly was something else entirely.

Aries felt the same. She would prefer to wait and let Loke get good and settled into his new relationship with Wendy before she ventured into spending too much time with him. He had enough temptation, and she did not fancy the idea of possibly being brought into the middle of arguments or lovers' quarrels. "Actually, I'm sorry, but I was thinking about spending some time traveling. Which is part of the reason I stopped by Magnolia. I'm heading to the country of Seven, northeast of Fiore."

"I see," Wendy replied, sounding disappointed.

"I'm very sorry," Aries stated again, giving a small bow to Wendy. "I will visit again, though!"

Loke laughed. "No one can resist for long when Wendy wants something," he teased.

The trio continued exploring the town, Loke grasping Wendy's hand possessively as they walked. She spotted a newly opened dress shop, and with only politely asking convinced Aries to roam the shop. Loke was outvoted two-to-one. He shrugged in defeat and allowed Wendy to lead the way.

**oOoOo**

Lucy hummed to herself as she helped Mirajane hang streamers and balloons. The lounge went from typical rowdy chaos to bright happy chaos in what must have been just a matter of minutes. Natsu and Happy had been tasked with bring the cake, and Gray with keeping Erza at a distance from it. Lucy balanced precariously on a step ladder's top step, unwisely overstretching to hang a streamer in a corner of the ceiling.

A pair of warm arms wrapped themselves around her lean frame, making her slip and fall from her perch. She landed on her assailant with an oomph, not sure if she should be glad he broke her fall or concerned for her dear dragon slayer's wellbeing. "Natsu," she playfully whined, "You shouldn't sneak up on a girl like that!"

Natsu pouted from his position between her and the floor. "Well, if you weren't so clumsy, it wouldn't have mattered," he retorted, her happy mood reflected in his voice. He sat up with her in his lap, grinning. "So, Luce, what were you doing up there showing off your panties?" His grin broadened as her face turned red.

"I didn't think I was up high enough to show anything off!" Lucy squealed, panicked.

Natsu laughed. "Nah, probably not. I had to lean over to see!" Lucy responded by thumping him hard on the head, to which he whined, "Ouch, Luce. Why'd you do that? I was just gonna say they sure look cute. I can't wait to see how well they go with my floor."

Lucy rolled her eyes and made to stand. Natsu grabbed her tight around the waist before she made any progress and pulled her close. He turned her head and locked their lips in a deep kiss. She always tasted like her sweet lip balm, and he could never seem to get enough of that. He had once even tried using it himself, but the effect just wasn't the same.

Her lips were soft, and she quickly fell into rhythm with him as he moved his lips, his tongue sliding into her mouth. He nipped at her lips lightly, his sharp teeth making her shiver. They enjoyed the taste of one another, both competing to see who could win the dance of tongues. Natsu sighed in contentment when Lucy ran her hands through his hair, tugging lightly at the roots. Before he thought about it, he trailed his hands up her sides, lightly cupping her breasts and being rewarded with a pleased moan.

Someone nearby coughed loudly, breaking up their warm greeting. They broke apart, both grinning. They looked up to see Mira and Lisanna standing nearby, giggling. Rather than being abashed, the duo simply grinned bigger, Natsu lifting Lucy up in his arms as he stood. She laughed as he spun her around a couple of times. When he set her down, she stumbled a moment before falling toward him, where he caught her again.

They shared another kiss, this one much simpler and less uncouth than previous. "If you two lovebirds are finished, Mira and I could use some help setting up tables," Lisanna chirruped, smiling brightly.

"Haha! Of course!" Lucy replied, acting slightly chastised but not feeling it at all.

Lisanna, Natsu, and Lucy set about setting up tables, while Mira took advantage of Erza and Gray's assistance and began food preparation. What party was complete without something to eat?

**oOoOo**

Much to Loke's relief, the surprise party went off with only one hitch: Wendy had invited Aries to spend some more time with them, which ended up being time at the party. Thankfully, Lucy had cornered her early and it looked like they were possibly going to be busy chatting about making a contract or something for a long time. Aries was refusing for the time being, telling Lucy she wanted to carry on with her travel plans for a while first.

Loke blew out a sigh of relief when Lucy finally agreed, telling Aries to be sure to check in with her when she returned. Lucy was a wonderful and sweet person to work with, but he really could use Aries not being around any longer than necessary for a good long while.

"No, I understand," Lucy said, smiling brightly at the Celestial Spirit, "I kind of did the same thing before winding up here. I even changed my name."

Aries nodded. Wendy happened to be passing by and overheard the conversation. Not wanting to be rude, but still insanely curious, she asked, "What did you change your name from?"

Lucy stuttered nervously. It wasn't something she wanted made public. "Heartfilia. My father was furious when he found out."

Wendy's eyes opened wide. "_The_ Hearfilias?" she asked in a conspiratorial whisper. Lucy gave a single firm nod.

"I miss my father. We should have been able to say goodbye _after_ we made our peace," Lucy said sadly. She wouldn't cry, but she couldn't help her eyes tearing up a little.

"I'm sure he loved you very much," Wendy said, trying to comfort her friend.

"He did. We were just fighting at the time, and, well, I regret not telling him how much I loved him, even if I hated everything he did to me." Lucy hugged Wendy tightly. She pulled away and a smile quickly replaced the fretful face. "Now, I think there's someone over there who's very eager to see you!"

Wendy's cheeks lit up. "He's seen me since lunchtime. Surely he'll live," she suggested, returning to Loke's side nevertheless, her cup of punch in her hand.

After a time, during which there were no less than four couples dances, seventeen "Happy Birthday!" wishes, six spilled cups of punch, and two cups of spiked punch accidentally imbibed by the birthday girl herself, Mira called for everyone to gather round the cake to sing the birthday song and for Wendy to blow out her candles. A chorus of mismatched and off-key voices broke out in a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday", at the conclusion of which Wendy spent only a moment making wish before blowing out her candles.

Someone in the crowd began yelling, "Speech! Speech! Speech!"

Wendy nervously called out thanks to everyone, hoping they wouldn't really make her give a speech. She was rescued from her predicament when Loke leaned across the table and kissed her full on. It was a mostly chaste kiss, one she gladly returned. Unintentionally she parted her lips, which the lion took advantage of. There were "Ooohs" and "Aaahhhs" (mainly from the females in the room), and Wendy successfully ignored them, caught up in the moment, until Gajeel yelled, "Alright, that's enough. There are women and children present, you know!"

Wendy snapped back into an upright position with lightning speed, her face beet red. Loke just grinned as though he'd just won the lottery.

Gray quickly salvaged the situation by shoving the present from him and Erza in her face, demanding she open it. She opened the box to reveal a picture frame, with a picture of her standing between Gray and Erza, all looking happy and like a family. Attached to the frame with a piece of ribbon was another charm for her bracelet, this one rounded, a stick figure family inscribed at the bottom and the word "FAMILY" written across the top.

"Oh! It's absolutely wonderful! I love it!" she cried, hugging both her Vade Mecums tightly. Within just a few weeks, they would officially be family.

**oOoOo**

"You know, I think Loke handled things very well. And Wendy, too. She could have been jealous and weird, but she wasn't. I think she's good for him," Erza said casually as she and Gray strolled the streets of Magnolia late that evening, hand in hand.

Gray nodded, his look pensive and contemplating. "I think you're right. I was kind of worried at first, since I know how Loke can be with girls, but, maybe she really is his soul mate or something," he speculated.

"I guess sometimes it is true that men change when they meet 'the one', huh?" Erza returned. She cast a knowing glance at Gray, who shrugged.

"I didn't change," he laughed.

"Not recently, but we've known each other for a while. Maybe you changed when we first met?" she suggested. They continued on in amicable silence for a time before she asked something that almost knocked Gray off his feet. "Gray?"

"Yes?" he replied, not aware that he should be sitting or at least holding his breath.

"Are you a virgin?" Erza said quietly, her face flushing in embarrassment.

"What?" Gray asked, not sure he'd heard her correctly.

Erza looked up, meeting his gaze unwaveringly. "I asked if you were still a virgin or not. It's a simple question, isn't it?"

Gray hesitated. "I think so…"

Erza narrowed her eyes, her features contorted into disbelief. "What does that mean?"

"Promise me you won't kill me first," he pleaded. Erza cast him another disbelieving look but nodded. "Well, I'm pretty sure. There is one incident a couple of years ago where things are kinda foggy… I went out with Loke one night, and, naturally, we were drinking and doing stupid things with girls. There was one, with green hair, that kept hitting on me. I told her I was just out to drink and make-out, which she agreed to. Her name was Becca or something. I guess she was pretty enough. Anyway, we played spin-the-bottle, because that's the sort of idiocy you get up to at these parties, and we ended up making out during the game, and well, after. I know it got a little carried away, but I don't know how much, and then all I remember is waking up the next morning in nothing but my boxers."

Erza giggled. She simply could not help herself. Gray waking up or strutting around all day in nothing but his underwear was nothing new. "It must not have been very good if you don't remember it," she snickered.

Gray joined her in her laughter, the mood contagious. He enjoyed every moment of Erza laughing, even if it was at his expense. When they calmed he said in a more somber tone, "I don't remember it, and I really don't think anything happened. And I know it's sort of late to be saying this, but could you forgive me if it did?"

Erza put on a mean look, glaring at Gray as though he'd just killed her kitten, or knocked her ice cream cone out of her hand and to the ground. Just when he was about to break, she relaxed and said, "Yeah, I think I can. It's nice to know I don't have much to live up to. It shouldn't be hard to be something you can't remember."

Gray chuckled. Maybe she should drink more often. It typically brought out the violent side of her, but maybe that was only with certain types of alcohol. It seemed wine and rum made her more outgoing and flirty. (1)

"Stay with me tonight, Gray," Erza pled before Gray kissed her good night.

"Erza, I don't think that's a good idea. Not tonight," he replied, wishing he could drown his sense of decency and say to hell with it.

Erza gave it some thought. Perhaps Gray was right, given their discussion earlier, and a notion that the satisfaction Erza was seeking would not be fulfilled with just some kisses. "Are you sure you don't want to stay?" she tried once again, he voice just a bit flirty and suggestive.

"Of course I do," Gray retorted, "It's just that I promised I wouldn't push things too far, and I think we should both be sober. Or at least wait until after the wedding."

"You're right," she agreed then pulled him in for another long kiss. She thought she might never get used to the butterflies in her stomach, though she didn't think she wanted to.

"Goodnight," Gray told her, pulling away slightly. "I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

The casual admission caught Erza off guard momentarily before she replied, "I love you, too," and watched Gray walk away, a definite strut in his step.

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

Notes:

1 – There is a theory about this. I don't think it's ever been proven, and I think science says it's complete hogwash, but, who knows?


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N:**__ This is just smut. And fluff. But mostly smut. Definitely rated M. So, yeah… Enjoy! _

**oOoOo—RN—oOoOo**

The wedding proceeded flawlessly. The gathered crowd looked on in amazement and appreciation as the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle, Mira stunning as always, and Lucy and Wendy equally lovely. The wedding march began playing when the ladies had completed their journey to the altar, the crowd taking the cue to stand and face the bride.

Erza slowly and nervously stepped through the double doors at the back of the room, her golden dress glittering in the light, the aura surrounding her giving her a look of elegance and beauty none could tear themselves away from. Gray felt his mouth hang open and his eyes well with tears. By some miracle of the universe it seemed everyone was too ensconced in staring at Erza to do anything to ruin the moment, like catcalling. Gray blinked away his tears as Erza took her last few steps toward him, joining him at the altar.

"You are beautiful," Gray whispered, his voice barely audible. Erza blushed prettily, a soft shade of pink settling on her cheeks and completing the outfit all the more. Gray wished he had a photographic memory, or that the photographer would snap a picture of her in this moment, because he never wanted to forget it.

Erza handed her bouquet to Mira and took Gray's hands. They faced each other, both smiling in delight, Erza and Gray both unable to stop a few errant tears. Makarov gave them their moment, allowing Jason to snap a picture he thought Gray might love, then began the ceremony.

Erza did not honestly recall much of what had been said or done. She knew, of course, but everything passed in a blur of excitement and nerves. Now the moment she had been simultaneously anticipating and dreading was upon them.

"You may kiss your bride," Makarov directed.

Gray felt his nerves give way to his desire as he pulled Erza in for a searing kiss, dipping her as he tried to convey in a single contact everything he found himself feeling. Many in the crowd cheered in celebration. They broke apart in a respectable time and began their retreat down the aisle, both hearts fluttering wildly.

The newlyweds were gifted a short reprieve before they joined the others in the main room of the lounge for the reception. Gray stole kisses as he could in their few short moments together, and Mira found them deeply involved in lip locking just before she insisted they make it in to their own reception.

"There'll be plenty of time for that tonight," she giggled, hugging them both in turn. "I wanted to come and give you my congratulations, and to let you know that we've still a bit of a ways to go to finish preparations on the new home, but I think you two can work something out. Besides, you'll have a week in Akane Beach to be able to forget about everything else while you're there," Mira winked at them.

Gray chuckled. "I suppose so," he agreed.

As per tradition, the first dance went to Erza and Makarov. Makarov was an excellent dancer, and given the height difference, Erza was keeping up quite well. When the song ended Erza leaned down and hugged him tightly. He returned the hug and sniffled.

"I'm so proud of you, my dear. You've grown into a beautiful woman, and Gray will make a fine husband," he said softly. "Congratulations on your wedding. You were beautiful today."

Erza smiled softly in appreciation. "Thank you, Headmaster. Thank you so much," she replied, her own happy tears slowly trekking down her cheeks.

Gray eagerly waited for her to return to him. She approached and he enveloped her in a hug, pulling her close and kissing her soundly. He let his tongue dip into her mouth, eagerly exploring and hungrily tasting her.

"Hey, Ice Princess, are you gonna dance already or what?" Natsu called from across the room. Erza and Gray shared a shy smile as he led her to the dance floor. He rested his hands lovingly on her waist, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. They shared another kiss, sweet and simple, as they began to sway to the music.

Erza and Gray finally seemed to have their fill of one another after a few dances. Mira, Lucy, Wendy, and several other females engaged Erza in conversation, offering congratulations and well wishes.

"We have some gifts for you, but I accidentally packed them with your luggage. You'll have to open them tonight," Mira commanded, a glint in her eye that told Erza it might have been accidentally-on-purpose.

Natsu and Lucy asked to dance with Erza and Gray, respectively, and Erza admitted she was impressed with Natsu's dancing. "You're rather good at this," she commented as they moved with the music. Natsu smiled broadly.

"You're not so bad yourself," he laughed. Erza rolled her eyes in response. "I just wanted to tell you congratulations. Lucy and I are both happy for you. Happy, too. And you look beautiful today, Erza," he said, grinning. They chatted casually and danced a bit more. As their second song was coming to a close, Natsu hugged Erza tightly. "Enjoy your week in Akane Beach. And tell Gray that if he hurts you, I'll burn him to a bloody, bacon-y crisp," Natsu warned, his eyes darkening with the threat.

Erza laughed happily. "I will be sure to let him know."

Natsu hugged her one last time. "Congratulations, Erza. I hope everything works out well." Erza smiled and kissed him on the cheek. He always had been like a brother to her, and she cherished the thought that he cared deeply enough for her to protect her against anyone who would see her harmed.

Gray and Lucy finished their dance, both laughing uproariously. Gray had caught his shoe on a nail barely poking out of the floor, tripped and lurched forward, almost falling onto Lucy and knocking them both down. Lucy laughed heartily at his expense until mere moments later the scene replayed itself in reverse.

"Congratulations, Gray," she said, hugging him before they parted. "Take care of Erza."

Gray smiled back at her. "I will," he said, determined to fulfill his duty as a husband to every degree.

The newlyweds made their rounds, dancing with all their friends, drinking the punch, smashing cake in one another's faces, and generally being boisterous and enjoying themselves. The evening passed in a blur of excitement for them, congratulations and compliments heaped on them at every turn. Erza laughed until she feared she would be hoarse. Gray took all the threats for beatings if he betrayed Erza's trust in stride, laughing right along with their friends.

It was a night Erza would look back on for the rest of her life and remember fondly. It was loud; it was crazy; it was Fairy Tail.

The second to last dance Gray and Erza reserved to share with Loke and Wendy. Loke bade Erza congratulations as they danced and chatted.

"I hope you enjoy your trip. If anyone around here deserves some time off, it's you," he laughed.

"Thank you, Loke," Erza replied. "You'll take care of Wendy while we're away, right?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow at him.

"Of course!" he replied, an undertone to his voice Erza thought she did not like. Her questioning gaze turned to a glare and Loke suddenly felt very nervous. "I didn't mean anything like that!" he defended. "I just meant I'd look out for her. Protect her. You know?"

Erza's expression readily changed back to pleased. "I know. Keep an eye on Mira, too, and make sure she doesn't get into too much mischief while we're gone." She and Loke shared a laugh.

Gray and Wendy danced together, Wendy happily tittering away about how excited she was for both of them. "I know I can never repay you for your help," she said softly, "but I hope to try. And I will do everything I can to make sure you and Erza are happy together. You deserve at least that much!"

Gray just smiled as she continued rambling, and spun her around.

Erza watched them dancing, her eyes soft as they moved about the floor. She looked to Loke and saw his eyes darkening with desire as he stared at the young blue haired girl nearby.

The song ended and Loke thanked Erza for the dance. He hugged her tightly. "Congratulations, again. And enjoy your holiday," he told her. He kissed her cheek and winked, "Now I can say I got to kiss the bride, too," he jested. She swatted his arm playfully.

"You best not do much more of that. Your girlfriend might get jealous," she laughed. Loke looked properly chastised.

Loke took Erza's hand, which he still held from their dance together, and placed it into Gray's when the raven haired mage approached. The two young men shared a brief hug and some words Erza missed hearing as the music for the last dance began.

When Gray took Erza in his arms again, and she turned her eyes to him, her look wanting, he nearly lost his control. With his ridiculous stripping habit, he could be wearing nothing in a matter of moments, but managed to restrain himself.

He still wasn't sure Erza was willing to take that step, even tonight. And she would sure enough kill him if he did something that stupid with everyone around.

He pulled her tightly against him. She leaned her head on his shoulder, her arms snug around his neck, and they began to sway with the music. Before long they found themselves caught up in a loving kiss again, this time everyone either ignoring them or not noticing. They pulled away from one another when the music stopped. Someone whooped and catcalled. It sounded like Gajeel, but Erza was too busy looking at Gray to care who was calling for them.

They made their final rounds, saying goodbye and accepting congratulations from everyone all over again. Mira ushered them out the door and to the vehicle. She had seen to having someone drive them, so that they could spend time worrying about _other_ things. The bride and groom ducked through the shower of rice and into the vehicle quickly. Mira passed them a small leather case with everything they would need in it. She wished them well one final time, and they were off.

**oOoOo**

The drive to Akane Beach was uneventful, Erza assumed. She and Gray had been far too caught up in one another to notice anything not earth shattering. The driver dropped them at their hotel and they fumbled through the check-in, not having been concerned with looking over their papers and such during the drive. The clerk at the counter smiled knowingly as she handed them their room keys.

Gray tore himself away from Erza long enough to gather their suitcases and bring them to their room, while Erza set about making the space their temporary home. While Gray eagerly awaited what he hoped would come with this, the night of their honeymoon, Erza fidgeted nervously, unpacking one of her too many suitcases. She, too, was eager and was very much in love with the idea of lovemaking, but unlike Gray, she was quite nervous about it.

Unbeknownst to Erza, Gray was nervous, too. Only he was apparently better at hiding it.

Gray stepped into the restroom, and Erza turned to a large package wrapped in pink paper and with a large bow on it. She guessed it was the gift Mira had told her about and carefully undid the wrapping. She lifted the lid from the box and stared dumbly at the contents. Her cheeks burned a hot red as she picked up something that looked like a man's penis. It was a soft blue color, and began vibrating noisily when her finger accidentally clicked a button. She barely restrained herself from screaming when it startled her, dissolving into a fit of giggles soon after.

She returned her gaze into the box, the now silent toy still in her hand. She noticed a bottle of lubricant, which she doubted she would need tonight, and a variety of other boudoir sundries. Next Erza retrieved a very seductive and barely there outfit, made of lace of a deep red. "Gray should enjoy that…" she told herself. If she weren't so nervous about the night ahead, she might have changed into it. But there would be more nights to come.

"I do believe I would, yes," Gray said saucily as he closed the door of the bathroom.

Erza turned from the small dresser and the package that sat atop it, catching Gray staring at her, his eyes half lidded and full of lust. She swallowed nervously as he walked toward her. Erza hastily dropped the toy back into the box as he closed the gap between them. Her nerves settled, if only momentarily, when he caught her lips with his, kissing her deeply and passionately. She sighed contentedly as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

Gray broke away from her mouth and trailed his kisses along her jaw, up to her ear lobe. He tugged gently at the lobe, drawing a satisfied moan from Erza's lips. He trailed the kisses lower, tasting her neck and exposed collarbone. The blouse she wore covered far too much skin, and was a bit modest for her. He reached a hand up to her side, drawing lazy circles with his fingers. She made another soft moan, and he felt himself growing hard, his manhood already pressing tightly against his pants.

Gray drew Erza's body closer, pressing his erection into her. His lips were suckling on a pulse point on her neck, and he could feel her heart rate quicken. He returned his lips to hers and ran a hand through her hair soothingly. Her breaths were short, but steady. Gray wanted this more than he had ever wanted anything, but he would not force her to submit.

His hands left her hair and trailed down her sides to her buttocks, grasping her backside firmly. She rewarded him with yet another pleased moan. Gray smiled into their kiss. "That's what I want to hear," he whispered in her ear huskily. Erza hummed in response.

Gray's hands moved from her backside and slid under the hem of her shirt. They had ended up near the door leading to a balcony, and Gray backed Erza into it, kisses trailing her neck and jaw. His hands trailed up her sides and over her breasts, covered by a lightly padded bra. His fingers snaked under the band and Erza drew in her breath sharply.

Erza let out a moan of pleasure under his explorative touch. Gray lifted Erza easily and carried her to the bed, her legs wrapped around his waist. He sat her atop it, climbing over her and propping himself on his forearms. His kisses left her mouth and trailed down her neck to the exposed area of her chest. His hands wandered again, finding the supple flesh of her breasts, eliciting pleasure with her every breath.

He soon disrobed her, discarding her clothing to the floor carelessly, leaving her only in her bra and panties. He savored the site of her lying beneath him, admiring her soft, milky skin with his eyes, hands, and mouth. With a quick movement, Erza had Gray equally disrobed, her own fingers trailing lightly over his skin.

With only moderate persuasion more, Erza succumbed to Gray's desire to be rid of her clothes, and reveled in the moment he slipped a hand between her legs at the apex of her thighs. She called his name loudly, her voice full of want and desire, when she climaxed. Gray smirked at his handiwork, kissing her again.

Erza reached to tug at the band of Gray's boxers, and he readily obliged. She tentatively took him in her hands, rubbing his length until he could bear it no more.

"Erza," he whispered, his voice making her heady and further aroused, "I need you…"

Erza smiled, her nerves calmed marginally from her earlier state of unease, and nodded Gray before kissing him again. She gasped when he took her, the mild discomfort rapidly making way for the pleasurable sensations that arose as they moved together.

Gray made his best effort to ensure Erza's climax as well as his own, and he moaned her name lustfully. When he regained his bearings, he lay beside her, cuddling her to him.

"You are wonderful and beautiful, and I love you," Gray told Erza, his eyes shining with sincerity.

"I love you, too," Erza replied, a smile brightening her face.

"Now how about some sleep? I want to be well rested for tomorrow, so we can try some of those things Mira sent us," Gray winked, both he and Erza blushing as they laughed.

With a final snuggle they drifted into peaceful sleep, the reprieve from their present worries welcome and needed.


End file.
